Report: Bristol City 2-0 Blackburn Rovers.

First-half goals from Shania Hayles and Emily Syme secured Lauren Smith’s side all three points at the Robins High Performance Centre.

🧐 BACKGROUND

Lauren Smith made two changes to the side that beat Coventry United last week, with Hayles and Ella Powell replacing Maddi Wilde and Jodie Hutton.

✍️ WHAT HAPPENED

City started the brightest and had the first attack of the game, as Jess Woolley saw her cutback collected by Blackburn the ‘keeper just ahead of Abi Harrison, who was on hand for what would've been a tap-in.

Woolley was at the forefront again as her effort skimmed the bar after she had been teed up by Lia Cataldo.

City took the lead just inside the quarter of an hour mark after Chloe Mustaki’s corner was scrambled home by Hayles for her first goal for the club. 

Cataldo’s cutback found Woolley in space inside the 18-yard box, but her shot was comfortably saved by Brooks. 

Ella Powell’s long-range effort looked certain to find the top corner, but Brooks did well to tip it behind for a City corner. 

The home side's lead was doubled moments before half-time as another goalmouth scramble saw the ball eventually fall kindly for Emily Syme to smash home, also her first goal for the club.

⏱ HALF-TIME

Harrison’s driven shot from a tight angle was beaten away at the near post by Brooks as City’s dominance carried over into the second period.

Ffion Morgan replaced Hayles at the break and was straight into the action, doing well to skip past her opponent before pulling the ball back for Woolley, who then saw two efforts blocked on the line in quick succession.

Natasha Fenton’s audacious effort from just over half way almost caught Fran Bentley out, but City’s number one did well to tip it behind for a Rovers corner

Club captain Aimee Palmer made her return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury, replacing Jasmine Bull on the 70-minute mark.

Substitute Elysia Boddy curled a shot just over from the edge of the area after Syme had done well to keep the ball in play and set her teammate up initially.

Boddy was involved again moments later, this time hitting the target from distance but Brooks was on hand to palm her effort away.

Jodie Hutton tried her luck from range as the game drew to a close, as City got off to a winning start at the Robins High Performance Centre with a dominant performance in front of 714 home supporters. 

 Report by Kory Cook

🏃‍♂️ TEAM

Bentley, Cataldo (Boddy 72'), Layzell, Bruce, Powell, J.Bull (Palmer 72'), Syme, Mustaki (Hutton 84'), Woolley, Harrison (C) (Teisar 90'), Hayles (Morgan 45').

📸 GALLERY:

🎟 UP NEXT AT THE ROBINS HPC

City are back in home action on Sunday, September 18th when Sunderland visit BS8 (3pm).