BCFC Women faced London City Lionesses today for the second time this season, but this time at St Andrew’s, with BCFCW beating them 0-1 in the away fixture back on November 12, 2023.
The game was in honour of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and support for NSPCC as is the annual celebration of a life taken too soon.
Birmingham City started off the usual energetic way, keeping possession well and not letting the Lionesses take control of the game. There were some loose ball moments where passes were either incomplete or given to the other side.
The game seemed to be plodding along until the sixth minute where Cho So-Hyun picked up the ball from a little Christie Harrison-Murray tap and tried her chance from around 21 yards out.
It wasn’t a particularly strong shot, but enough to go over the LCL keeper and in the back of the net, Cho’s first goal of the season and it was superb.
Choe Yu-Ri had a great game, receiving plenty of forward passes, but was unlucky not to take full advantage, even just managing to hit the side of the net in the 74th minute with her best chance.
Lucy Quinn also played a good game, but just couldn’t find the right spot with her few corners, one going straight out and hitting the top of the net.
Lily Agg had to be substituted early into the second half due to a problem with her knee and was replaced by Ivana Fuso.
The second half was fairly uneventful with a couple of close chances from headers which could only meet the bar each time until the 63rd minute where Martha ‘she only scores screamers’ Harris came on in place of Gemma Lawley.
London City Lionesses only had one major challenge in the 66th minute for BCFC Women keeper Lucy Thomas to punch away, which led to a counter-attack down the left side, only to have Choe Yu-Ri to be pulled back and receive a free kick.
Yuri was substituted for Libby Smith in the 80th minute who kept the pressure on LCL, but didn’t really have the chance to score, despite some good balls fed to her.
The win takes BCFC Women up into fourth place of the Barclays Women’s Championship and a seventh win in a row, they will face bottom of the league Watford Women next week February 4th at Grosvenor Vale, BCFCW beat them 5-2 in their home game on October 22, 2023.