Report: Bristol City 0-0 Birmingham City.

Bristol City were held to a 0-0 draw by Birmingham City in BS3 in their first home game of the Barclay' Women's Championship season

Both sides had chances to take all three points but big saves from Fran Bentley and Lucy Thomas in opposing nets saw the spoils shared.

Interim Head Coach Loren Dykes made one change to the side which started the 1-1 draw with Southampton on the opening day of the season, with Jazz Bull replacing Mari Ward.

Summer signings Lexi Lloyd-Smith and Harley Bennett were also in from the start, making their home debuts at Ashton Gate.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors, as Ivana Fuso found herself in space on the edge of the area, but her effort sailed over.

Bentley was called into action not long after, getting down well to her right and saving Tegan McGowan’s shot.

A goalmouth scramble ended with the ball falling kindly for City captain Jamie-Lee Napier, but she couldn’t quite keep her first-time volley down and failed to trouble Thomas in the visiting net.

Napier’s header from Amalie Thestrup’s cross then looked destined to nestle in the corner, only for Thomas to superbly claw it away from danger.

After an even 15 minutes following the interval, City had a great chance to take the lead as Thestrup was inches away from bundling home Abi Harrison’s low cross, only for Rebecca McKenna to block it in the nick of time.

The Blues then had a golden chance of their own, with McGowan cutting inside before firing a low shot towards the bottom corner, only for Bentley to pull off a stunning save to turn it behind for a corner.

Harrison and Napier both had shots blocked in quick succession as City piled the pressure on in their search to open the scoring.

The game opened up and both sides looked to make the decisive blow, but neither were able to create any real openings and it ended goalless at Ashton Gate.

STARTING XI: Bentley (GK), Bull, Bennett, Struck, Powell, Rodgers, Syme, Napier (c), Harrison (Woolley 74’), Lloyd-Smith (Morgan 74’), Thestrup.

SUBS: Burns (GK), Humphries, Bance, Ward, Earl, Teisar, Pearce.

ATT: 1,956