Blackburn Rovers kicked off the new Barclays Women’s Championship campaign with a 1-0 win over last term’s runners-up Birmingham City.
There were a Rovers Women’s record 1,034 fans in attendance at Ewood Park, who saw Chloe Williams’ deflected strike and a Megan Hornby effort threaten the visitors’ goal in the opening two minutes.
Birmingham survived penalty appeals for handball against Jade Pennock, before City’s Ellie Mason saw her shot gathered at the second attempt by Alex Brooks.
Rovers broke the deadlock four minutes after the interval, when Georgie Walters played in Hornby to shoot through the legs of keeper Lucy Thomas.
Lily Agg’s header was well held by Brooks and Pennock put a late chance for a leveller wide of the goal, as the points remained in Blackburn.
