Report: Bristol City 5-0 Durham.

City rounded off 2024 with a 5-0 win over Durham at Ashton Gate.

Emily Syme’s brace, and goals from Lexi Lloyd-Smith, Tianna Teisar and Amalie Thestrup saw Steve Kirby’s side cap the year off in style. 

Kirby made one change to the side that beat Charlton last time out in the Barclays Women’s Championship, with Sille Struck returning from suspension to replace Ella Powell.

The first action came when Lloyd-Smith’s cross was deflected into the path of Syme at the back post, but her attempted cut-back was smothered well by Tatiana Saunders in the visiting net.

Kirby was forced into an early change when Mari Ward went down injured after a late tackle and was replaced by Ella Powell.

Syme was then involved again, this time getting on the end of Jamie-Lee Napier’s cross, but Saunders got down well to gather her effort.

Fran Bentley pulled off a huge stop as we approached the interval, standing strong to block Lily Crosthwaite’s goal bound effort with her legs.

City had a chance of their own to go into the break infront as Amy Rodgers cleverly found Syme with a free-kick, who was unable to make a proper connection on it, before Ffion Morgan fired the rebound over the bar.

Morgan and Syme combined again shortly after, playing a neat one-two on the edge of the area before the Wales international saw her shot saved. 

The pair finally got their reward when Morgan played a neat through-ball into the path of Syme, who calmly slotted past Saunders to give City a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time.

City looked to start the second half as they ended the first and went close again early on as Syme’s toe-poke towards goal from Lloyd-Smith’s cross was deflected behind for a corner.

The Robins’ lead was doubled as Syme got her second of the afternoon, latching onto a long ball before tucking her shot into the bottom left corner, leaving Saunders no chance.

Lloyd-Smith then further extended City’s advantage, beautifully curling the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Kirby’s side continued to control proceedings and he introduced some fresh faces, with Chloe Mustaki, Amy Rodgers, Morgan and Lloyd-Smith making way for Jazz Bull, Teisar, Thestrup and Abi Harrison.

Teisar wasted no time in getting in on the action, capitalising on a mixup at the back to lift the ball over Saunders and into the back of the net for her first league goal for the club. 

The game was wrapped up with a fifth goal of the afternoon as Thestrup picked the ball up on the halfway line and saw Saunders off her line, before lofting it over her to round off a stellar performance at Ashton Gate.

STARTING XI: Bentley (GK), Bennett, Struck, Mustaki (Bull 70’), Napier (c), Rodgers (Teisar 78’), Bance, Syme, Ward (Powell 19’), Morgan (Harrison 78’), Lloyd-Smith (Thestrup 78’)

Substitutes: Burns (GK), Humphries, Earl, Woolley.

Words: Kory Cook