Top-class goalkeeping sees Bristol City Women share points with Birmingham City in home opener

Bristol City Women continued their unbeaten start to the season with a goalless stalemate against Birmingham City at Ashton Gate on Sunday afternoon, having opened the campaign with a 1-1 draw at Southampton the weekend prior.

Both sides had opportunities to secure the win but top-class goalkeeping from both Fran Bentley and Lucy Thomas ensured that the points were shared in BS3.

Tegan McGowan had the visitors’ best chance of the first half, having latched onto a flick-on following a deep free-kick, though her effort was well denied by the strong palm of Bentley, while City came close ten minutes later as Blues’ goalkeeper Thomas pulled off an impressive stop of her own to prevent former Birmingham loanee Jamie-Lee Napier from finding the bottom left corner.

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Amalie Thestrup’s second-half chance was perhaps the best opportunity of the afternoon as she found herself unmarked at the far post with what should have been a simple finish into an empty net, but for a perfect sliding block from Rebecca McKenna to keep the game level.

However, Birmingham had the chance to win it just moments later, as McGowan found herself through on goal once again, but Bentley pulled off yet another brilliant low stop to secure the Robins a well-earned clean sheet.

Speaking to Bristol Live after what may be her last game in charge of the club, interim head coach Loren Dykes said: “I think the girls were phenomenal, I can't fault them one bit.

“I just think it's very evident what we need to work on, but I think that's a good thing. Sometimes you can be unsure but it's very evident so we keep building, we don't stop working on being good at defending.

“You have to keep that, but we have to keep building as well on the things that we need to improve on.”

The visitors had the first real chance of the afternoon, as McGowan broke down the left and teed up a shot for Ivana Fuso, though her effort narrowly flew over the bar.

Moments later, Gemma Lawley’s free-kick found Lily Agg, who glanced the ball into the path of McGowan with only the goalkeeper to beat, but Bentley got down well to palm her effort away.

From there, the Robins began to grow back into the game, with Abi Harrison forcing Neve Herron into a back-pass to Thomas, the goalkeeper’s heavy touch nearly being capitalised on by Napier, before eventually clearing it as far as Powell, whose subsequent cross just evaded Harrison at the far post.

Not long after, Emily Syme’s corner-kick nearly caused chaos in the box after the Birmingham goalkeeper was unable to claim the ball, the subsequent clearance finding Napier on the edge of the area, but her volley was fired over the crossbar.

However, Birmingham remained a threat, McGowan skipping past two City players before playing a perfect through ball to Fuso, though Harley Bennett quickly intervened with a brilliant last-ditch tackle.

Then came City’s best chance of the half, as Thestrup found space down the right-hand side to float a cross in for Napier, who connected well with the header, only to be denied by the strong hand of Thomas.

The Robins’ final opportunity of note in the first half came through Harrison, after a Birmingham clearance fell to her just inside the area, but the Scotland international’s connection on the volley wasn’t clean, and her effort was high and wide.

Both teams started the second half slowly, before Birmingham made the first substitution of the afternoon, giving 18-year-old Ava Baker her debut, in place of Ireland international Lucy Quinn.

Soon after the stoppage came what was arguably City’s best chance of the game, Lexi Lloyd-Smith won the ball back down the right flank, before playing a ball over the top to Harrison. Her low cross across goal was touched on by Syme to Thestrup, who arrived unmarked at the far post, and should have had a simple tap-in but for an incredible sliding challenge from McKenna.

But Birmingham soon had another chance of their own as they broke down the left through McGowan, who outmuscled her defender and cut inside, before shooting to Bentley’s left, but the City goalkeeper got down once again with another brilliant denial to keep the scores level.

City looked the more likely to take the lead in the closing stages, with a ball over the top played to Ffion Morgan narrowly being cut out by Holloway just outside the penalty area, before Woolley took on a long-range effort that dipped just over the bar.

The Robins hope to announce Lauren Smith's permanent replacement imminently with Dykes ruling herself out of the running. However, it is currently unclear whether that appointment will be made in time for Sunday's trip to London City.

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