Match Preview: Coventry United (A).

City kick off their campaign on the road after a largely successful pre-season campaign, with eight new arrivals through door and four pre-season victories.

Following last year's 3rd-placed finish, the reds will have their sight firmly set on bettering last year's points haul and league position. 

Ahead of the new season Head Coach Lauren Smith sat down to reflect on the summer and outline her ambitions for the squad. 

🎥 WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW

⏮ Match Rewind: Bristol City 1-1 Coventry United

When: 17.04.22
Where: Robins High Performance Centre
Competition: FA Championship

Bristol City were held to a 1-1 by Coventry United after a late equaliser from the visitors at the Robins High Performance Centre.

City would be the first team to strike and it would be none other than Abi Harrison herself. The returning Mel Johnson slid the ball through with pinpont precision to the advancing striker, who picked her spot from the edge of the area to bag her 20th goal of the season. 

Coventry United’s pressure would eventually tell as Wilkinson headed past Bentley to equalise after confusion in the City box. 

🆚 OUR OPPONENTS: Coventry United

• Formed: 2013
• Stadium: Butts Park Arena
• Nickname: Cov United Ladies
• Manager: Lee Burch
• Finish last season: 11^th (FA Championship)

The club was originally founded in 2013 as Coventry City Ladies until two years later in 2015 when the switch affiliations in the city to merge with non-league side Coventry United and relocate to the Butts Park Arena.

The club were crowned Champions of the National League South in 2019, which saw the Midlands-based side promoted to the Championship. Three hard fought seasons have followed in the second tier as United finished 9^th,  10^th  and 11^th in the 19/20, 20/21, 21/22 seasons respectively.

Last season the two sides played out two 1-1 draws so this fixture is set to be another good contest.

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👀 ONE TO WATCH

SIMRAN JHAMAT

Jhamat joined the Robins ahead of the 2021/22 FA Championship campaign, meaning she is a very familiar face to her opponents this weekend.

The winger from Walsall began her journey at local side Sporting Khalsa as a junior before being invited to attend the Aston Villa Centre of Excellence, where she developed for seven years prior to a move to Liverpool in 2017.

Jhamat was handed her top flight bow for the Reds in 2019, before moving to Leicester City and Coventry United in the seasons following. She then spent the 2020/21 campaign at fellow Championship outfit Lewes FC before joining the Robins.

The 21-year-old joined back up with Coventry United this summer after leaving the Robins.

📍 Match Details:

Where: Butts Park Arena
When: Sunday, August 21st
Competition: Barclay's Women's Championship

📺 STREAMING 

Supporters unable to travel to the Butts Park Arena can watch all the action via the FA Player with all fixture from the opening weekend streamed on the FA's dedicated women's football platform.

Prior to watching you'll need to sign up but then you'll be able to catch the latest highlights and content from teams across the league.

🎟 TICKETS

Supporters that wish to travel to Coventry on Sunday afternoon can purchase ticket online here.

Adult tickets are priced at £7, concessions tickets cost £5 and Under-16s are priced at £3.

FOLLOW CITY WOMEN ON THE ROAD