MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 4, BRISTOL CITY WOMEN 0
Manchester City’s women’s side made it ten straight wins in a row in all competitions this season as they leapfrogged Chelsea into top spot in the Women’s Super League with an impressive victory over Bristol City Women.
There were goals by Izzy Christiansen, Claire Emslie, Abbie McManus and Jen Beattie as City easily beat their visitors to take full advantage of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at Reading earlier.
It was total dominance by City as they played almost exclusively in Bristol’s half throughout the game with goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck hardly required but stepping up to made what few saves were needed.
Izzy Christiansen was tripped by Danique Kerkdijk after being put through by Jill Scott and the England midfielder converted the spot kick to put City into an early lead after just eight minutes.
The early goal underlined City’s dominance throughout the first quarter of this one side contest.
Mel Lawley’s cross/shot came off the crossbar and Steph Houghton’s 25 yard free kick was tipped away by Sophie Baggaley while Scott fired just wide and Houghton headed a Christiansen corner over the bar as City fired on all cylinders early on.
The visitors regained a little composure but could only frustrate City’s probing with many of City’s best moves coming from the right flank dominated by Mel Lawley.
It was her wing partner Claire Emslie who breached the Bristol City net next though. Bouyed by an attempted lob which bounced over Baggaley’s bar, she latched onto a long pass by Jen Beattie and tried a low curling shot after cutting in from the left in the 38th minute and it foxed the Bristol City ‘keeper, creeping in at the far post.
Yana Daniels and Lauren Hemp finally tested Ellie Roebuck before the break after mistakes by Houghton and Beattie but the young ‘keeper kept her composure to make the saves.
Both keepers were tested early in the second half but City were to have the more effective second period.
Jen Beattie headed over Christiansen’s cross in the 58th minute but the Blues didn’t have to wait long to effectively put the game out of their visitors’ hands when Abbie McManus curled a fine effort with her left foot past Baggaley after an hour.
City continued to dominate the game with late half chances but they were coasting at the end as Bristol City subsided under a barrage of a late City chances including a golden opportunity for substitute Nikita Parris to score a fourth after Christiansen had slid the ball through for her but she skewed the shot wide.
Late in the game Parris crossed for Demi Stokes who knocked the ball down for Emslie who had the goal at her mercy but was also wayward.
Emslie did, however, return the favour to Jen Beattie from earlier after her cross was only half cleared by a Bristol defender, with the ball falling to City’s Scotland defender who made no mistake from the edge of the area two minutes from time.