Blues enjoy a six goal romp

Will Wood

09 May 2008

BIRMINGHAM City Ladies’ bid for a top-half finish was undone by Thursday’s 1-1 draw at home to Bristol Academy, secured by substitute Amy McCann.
But Blues bounced back with a 6-1 dismissal of relegated Charlton on Sunday in their final game at Redditch United’s Valley Stadium this season.
City boss Laura Harvey will hope to have winger Dannii Bird back from an injured foot for her last game in charge against Chelsea on Sunday.
Wales winger Milly Durrant should be available and Harvey may be able to call on left-back Michelle Hickmott who missed Sunday’s game through work commitments.
Defender Jemma Buttler returned to the bench on Sunday after persistent knee injury trouble.
Birmingham skipper Laura Bassett was in the England squad for a European Championship qualifier against Belarus in Minsk yesterday.
Northern Ireland striker McCann has been called up for her country’s friendly against Liverpool at Anfield tomorrow.
Birmingham City Ladies 6 Charlton 1
Blues stormed out of the blocks in the first half, battering the visitors to take a 5-0 lead into the break.
In the eighth minute Kerys Harrop chipped the ball through the Charlton defence after a free-kick from the impressive Chelsea Weston on the right.
Amy McCann was on it and saw her initial effort saved by Sian Jenkins before firing the rebound onto the left-hand post.
Within a minute Blues hit the woodwork again with Faye Cardin picking out Heather Scheuber with her back to goal and the midfielder turning and hitting a rising effort which beat Jenkins only to cannon off the bar.
Jenkins tipped over a Gauntlett curler in the 14th minute but within seconds Blues were finally ahead when Weston whipped in a corner from the right.
Gauntlett powerfully headed against the bar with McCann reacting first to head home from close range.
Five minutes later the lead was doubled when Gauntlett timed her run onto a Scheuber through-ball to get behind the Charlton defence and coolly finish past an exposed Jenkins.
Another five minutes and another goal with a high, hanging Scheuber ball to the far post headed back across goal by McCann for Becky Hall to head in.
In the 28th minute it was 4-0, Gauntlett finding McCann who beat one player to the ball before turning her marker inside out and firing home past Jenkins at her near post.
Hall created the fifth in the 42nd minute, forcing the error on the halfway line before a trademark run down the right, leaving opponents trailing in her wake before pulling it back.
Scheuber arrived to hit a sweet effort which dipped over Jenkins from 20 yards.
The second half was a different story with relegated Charlton showing fight and snapping into the tackle and Birmingham taking their foot off the gas.
The visitors had a deserved reward in the 61st minute but Birmingham restored their five-goal cushion in the 73rd minute.
A deep cross from Weston was recovered by substitute Sinead Wade who rolled it to the oncoming Katy Ward who cracked a dipping effort over Jenkins from fully 25 yards.
l FECKENHAM rounded off their Midland Combination Premier Division campaign on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat at Loughborough University.
It has been a mixed year for manager Neil Randle after so many comings and goings and The Millers finished 19th.

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