Report: Bristol City 1-0 Portsmouth.

City made it three wins on the bounce with a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth at Ashton Gate.

Ffion Morgan’s fifth minute goal was enough to see The Robins over the line in a dominant performance in which City could have won by a bigger margin.

Head Coach Steve Kirby made two changes to the side which beat Blackburn Rovers last time out, with Mari Ward and Jesse Woolley coming in for Abi Harrison and Amalie Thestrup, who were both on the bench.

City almost took the lead inside two minutes for the second week running when Emily Syme steered just wide from Woolley’s pull-back.

The Robins did go in front not long after, though, when Morgan latched onto Amy Rodgers’ through-ball and rounded the goalkeeper, before tucking home into an empty net.

Lexi Lloyd-Smith went close to doubling City’s advantage when she capitalised on a defensive error and nicked the ball from Eve Annets in the Pompey net, but Hannah Conn did well to block it on the line. 

In almost a carbon copy of the goal, Rodgers found Morgan in behind with a lovely pass, but the Welsh international’s attempted lob was saved by Annets.

After a period of possession but no real openings, Morgan’s corner was headed agonisingly wide by Sille Struck as City looked to extend their lead.

Annets then made a good save to prevent Lloyd-Smith from getting on the scoresheet, getting a strong hand on her shot after Jamie-Lee Napier’s pass.

The first half chance of the second period fell to the visitors but Erin McLaughlin’s long-range effort was comfortably held by Fran Bentley.

Chloe Mustaki was welcomed back to a great reception, replacing Jazz Bull for her first City appearance in nine months. 

Syme tried her luck from a similar range to which she scored the winner against Blackburn, but this time saw her shot curl narrowly wide.

The best chance of the half fell to Napier who was teed up by Lloyd-Smith but dragged her left-footed shot wide.

City almost wrapped up the points deep into added time when substitutes Thestrup and Harrison combined and the latter stabbed the ball goalwards, but saw it blocked by the legs of Annets.

STARTING XI: Bentley (GK), Struck, Bennett, Bull (Mustaki 71’), Napier (C), Rodgers, Syme, Woolley (Thestrup 66’), Ward (Harrison 66’), Morgan, Lloyd-Smith (Earl). Substitutes: Burns (GK), Powell, Humphries, Bance, Earl, Teisar.