Birmingham City
Blues Trust
Blues 4 All
Blues made it three wins in three at St Andrews against a very determined Reading side who want to get back to the WSL in their first attempt. We all had to thank some brilliance from magician Charlie Devlin with two great strikes and also some brilliant goalkeeping from Lucy Thomas . A brilliant double save in the fifty seventh minute to get us the three points was what we deserved. This performance was packed full of quality but what I liked more than that was the commitment of the team, not giving Reading the equaliser, everyone was committed, everyone was determined and fighting to get those three points.
It was great to see Choe Yu-Ri making her debut in a blues shirt today.
FIRST HALF
Blues started off well and the first chance came in the third minute when a Lucy Quinn’s corner was delivered into the box, it was met by the head of Neve Herron, but it was gathered up by Readings goalkeeper Emily Orman.
Then in the 12th minute Charlie Devlin hit the crossbar with a lofted effort which had beaten Emily Orman but not the bar.
Then in the 20th minute it was Jade Moore’s turn to have a shot from range, but it was saved from Orman .
Eight minutes later the breakthrough came when Charlie Devlin with some brilliant individual skill past the Reading defender, put it onto her left foot and bent it into the far corner past Emily Orman, a world class finish from a outstanding player. 1-0 Blues
Seven minutes later it was 2-0 for the girls in Blue. A corner came into the Royals box and wasn’t cleared away it fell to Devlin in the centre of the box and she struck it past Orman to put us in dream land.
The last chance of the half was the first chance for Reading when a Lily Woodman’s corner was met by the head of Brooke Hendrix but goes wide.
HALF TIME BLUES 2-0 READING
SECOND HALF
The first chance of the second half Blues thought their had a third goal when Libby Smith put the ball in the back of the net, but it was ruled out for a foul on the Reading Goalkeeper.
Three minutes later the visitors got a goal back through Woodman who scored from a corner . Her cross found the head of Deanna Cooper who scored with a powerful header.
Reading were growing in confidence and in the 57th minute we needed Lucy Thomas to be out her best the first from a Tia Primmer long-range effort which was saved the loose ball fell to Lauren Wade who thought she had scored the equaliser but Thomas got up to save a certain goal.
Blues then in the 61st minute should have regained their two-goal lead when Ivanna Fuso played the ball across goal to found Jamie Finn, but her effort was saved from Orman.
In the 65th minute Thomas was called into action again when Reading’s Lauren Wade’s half-volley was tipped wide of the post, but the assistant referee Maya Korpal pointed for a goal Kick.
Wade then had anther chance in the 85th minute but it went over the bar for the Royals.
The last chance of the game came for the Royals when former Bluenose Charlie Estcourt almost got a point but some brilliant defending got Blues over the line.
FULL TIME BLUES 2-1 READING
MY THOUGHTS ON THE GAME
Three wins in a row , six games unbeaten Blues are finally getting it right but what i loved about this performance is how we ground out the result. The first half we were so comfortable but the second half Reading came back into the game and could have got a point but for some brilliance from our Goalkeeper from Lucy Thomas. The only downside was Ivanna Fuso coming off in the 82nd minute hope she’s okay. Now we got two important games coming up London City Lionesses and Durham if we can get six points in those two games it will be a great start to the season .
MY PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Only one person the magician Charlie Devlin. The first goal was simply amazing, it’s great to see her back after her injury at the beginning of the season, you can see what it means to her playing football again . Her second was a great low finish the only disappointing thing was she didn’t get a hat trick.
NEXT UP
We are away at London City Lionesses next Sunday at 13:00
KRO STEPHEN GILL