Champions League report from St.Andrews and post match comments from both side’s coaches…
Remi Allen’s first half goal, for Birmingham was enough to earn a hard working and well organised Birmingham side a 1-0 victory over a Gunners team that huffed and puffed but rarely troubled the Blues’ goal.
Arsenal had actually started the brighter and more confident, controlling the opening exchanges against Birmingham’s young defence, which saw Aoife Mannion and Jess Carter start at centre back and left back, respectively.
But the Blues settled and Jo Potter flashed a free-kick wide before Melissa Lawley fired over from 12 yards after Emma Byrne spilled a Chelsea Weston cross.
Allen, a new recruit over the winter, from Lincoln/Notts County, provided a smart finish to another Weston delivery, hooking a volley past Emma Byrne in the 26th minute, to put the home side ahead. And they night have had a second before the break but Kirsty Linnett saw Caroline Weir clear her effort off the line.
Arsenal started the second half brightly, Alex Scott nodding on Kelly Smith’s ball to Shinobu Ohno but she was denied by Aoife Mannion’s last-ditch tackle.
Smith was again involved in the Gunners’ best chance 3 minutes from time but Ohno volleyed the whipped cross over from eight yards out.
There’s certainly all to play for on Sunday, 30th March, in the 2nd leg at The Hive, 2pm ko.
Birmingham City: Spencer; Weston, Mannion, Harrop, Carter; Carney, Allen, Moore, Potter, Lawley; Linnett (Simpkins, 79)
Unused subs: Baggaley, Sargeant, Keryakoplis, Simpkins, Wilkinson, Torkildsen, Haines.
Booked: Linnett
Arsenal: Byrne; Scott, Mitchell, Stoney, Kinga; Weir, Bailey, Ohno; Carter, Smith, Yankey (Ayisi, 77)
Unused subs: Chamberlain, Hoogendijk, Williamson, Bragg, Sampson, Humphrey
Booked: Smith, Carter, Kinga
Attendance 2,671
Click here for the match video.
POST MATCH COMMENT:
Dave Parker, Birmingham City
On the win:
It’s only half time. We wanted the clean sheet, we set up not to concede a goal. We have never kept a clean sheet against Arsenal in three years, so it’s really massive for us.
It gives us the assurance and cushion to go to look for that goal that counts twice.It’s a stepping stone but it’s only halfway.
On Remi Allen’s goal:
From Remi you know what you get out of her. She is a 7 out of 10 player, game in game out, and then occasionally you get a 10 out of 10 performance and tonight she stepped up and got a goal on her debut. People talk about her being a defensive midfielder but she offers an attacking threat too.
On Player of the Match, Jess Carter:
Yeah, Jess wow, what a performance form her. Straight out of our Centre of Excellence, only 16, I’ve been told she’s the youngest to have played in Champions League. We’re cery proud of the performance. It’s been a great effort from everyone.
On a shaky start:
Yeah, first ten mins we were a car crash, we were hooking and slicing everything. They have the experience and they just stepped straight into the occasion. I think we choked a little bit but getting through the first 15 mins, we got the ball down and played a little and settled.
Shelley Kerr, Arsenal
On the game:
I think a lot of credit to Birmingham. They throughly deserved their win.
Tactically, they’ve obviously observed Arsenal in lots of games, they know how we play and set themselves up to stop us.
First and second balls, they won everything and their keeper didn’t have a save to make. The players are disappointed. We had lots of possession but posession doesn’t win games and we’re disappointed with conceding a goal.
What they need to do better:
We need to create more space and break down a tough Birmingham. We’ve lots of experienced players, we hoped they would use that but all credit to Birmingham, their young players were excellent tonight. We had two World Cup winners and players with over 100 caps but Birmingham set themselves up very well. Sometimes it’s down to decision making and we didn’t pass very well tonight. We need to work on that.
Both teams will go away, analyse, regroup and get ready for the second leg.
Images: (top) Remi Allen celebrates, (centre) – Melissa Lawley goes for goal, (above) – Kelly Smith on the ball. (Gavin Ellis/TGSPHOTO.CO.UK)
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