Report: Bristol City 0-2 Aston Villa.

Bristol City were beaten 0-2 by Aston Villa at Ashton Gate.

Megan Connolly’s own-goal and a strike from former Robin Ebony Salmon were enough for Villa to take all three points from BS3.

Lauren Smith made one change to the team that was victorious against West Ham, with Abi Harriosn making her first start of the season, replacing Jamie-Lee Napier who missed out due to an injury picked up midweek.

Harrison was straight into the action early on, whipping a wicked delivery into the box from the left-hand side, which was headed behind for a corner. 

The visitors went close when Rachel Daly’s flick-on landed at the feet of Rachel Corsie, but the Villa skipper's shot flew narrowly over.

Kirsty Hanson then pounced on a loose ball before firing a shot from range which stung the palms of Kaylan Marckese, but the Arsenal loanee was able to hold on.

Carrie Jones then did well in the middle of the park before finding Ffion Morgan in space on the right, and the Welsh international’s driven cross was dangerous, but no-one in a red shirt could latch onto it.

City continued to put pressure on the visiting defence as Harrison spread a lovely pass into the path of Morgan, who beat her marker before seeing her low cross fall nicely for Daphne van Domselaar in the Villa net.

The Robins went close to taking the lead in spectacular style when the ball fell nicely for Rachel Furness 25-yards out, and her half-volley looked goalbound before van Domselaar got a fingertip to it.

As we entered the final of six additional minutes at the end of the first half, Smith was forced into a change between the sticks, with Liv Clark replacing the injured Marckese.

Adriana Leon sparked the second half to life, beating Brooke Aspin on the left before cutting back for Daly, but her shot was blocked brilliantly by Megan Connolly.

Daly then had arguably the best chance of the game when she was found in-behind, latching onto Corsie’s through-ball, but the Lioness dragged her effort just wide.

Clark was called into action for the first time, doing well to hold on to Kenza Dali’s shot from the edge of the area.

Villa took the lead with just under a quarter of an hour to go when substitute Ebony Salmon wriggled past Naomi Layzell before seeing her shot deflect off Connolly and past Clark and into the back of the net.

The visitors put the game to bed as their advantage was doubled when Salmon’s initial shot was blocked by Layzell, but the ball fell nicely for the former City player to hammer home.

Team: Marckese (Clark 45'), Powell, Aspin, Connolly (C), Layzell, Morgan, Rodgers, Furness (Syme 62'), Harrison (Ward 62'), Thestrup (Hayles 86'), Jones. Subs (unused): Struck, Mustaki, Bull, Wooley, Teisar

Att: 4,407

Words: Kory Cook

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