Report: Crystal Palace 0-3 Bristol City.

A Grace Clinton brace and a second-half strike from Abi Harrison made sure of the points, as Lauren Smith’s side put on a complete performance to mark her 50th game in charge.

✍️ BACKGROUND

Smith made two changes to the side that won at Lewes on Wednesday night, with Mari Ward and Ffion Morgan coming into the side in place of Jodie Hutton and Rachel Furness.

📝 WHAT HAPPENED? 

It didn’t take any time at all for the Robins to race into the lead as Clinton ghosted in behind the Palace backline to deftly lob the onrushing goalkeeper with a perfectly-weighted volley.

Shania Hayles’ first chance of the afternoon came after 16 minutes as she latched onto Clinton’s flick-on, but this time Kitching was equal to the effort and tipped over the bar.

Three minutes later the hosts went as close to finding the net as they would all afternoon, as Anna Filbey rattled the crossbar from 25 yards with a powerful drive.

Hayles would go close again as the game approached the half-hour mark, this time seeing her effort bounce back off the base of the post with Kitching beaten.

The Robins kept up the pressure as the half wore on, and two minutes into stoppage time, Clinton would get back on the scoresheet and add to the hosts’ misery as she rifled a free-kick into the bottom corner.

⏱️ HALF-TIME

City came flying out of the blocks after half time and didn’t have to wait long before they added a third. 

Just three minutes after the restart, Harrison picked the ball up just inside the Palace half before finding Emily Syme. The midfielder played a quick one-two with Ffion Morgan before sliding the ball across the box for Harrison who made no mistake.

Just shy of the hour mark, Fran Bentley had to be alert to danger as she raced off her line to smother at the feet of Rianna Dean.

Morgan almost got in on the action with six minutes to play as she stuck a free-kick goalwards from 25 yards, only for Kitching to be equal to the effort once more and help it over the bar.

Tianna Teisar could have chalked up her first Bristol City goal late on in the day, but things wouldn’t quite come together for the young striker who saw her shot saved by Kitching.

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🏃‍♂TEAM

Bentley, Pearse (Cataldo 86'), Layzell, Bruce, Powell (C.Bull 67'), Clinton, Syme (J.Bull 75'), Harrison (Teisar 86'), Ward, Morgan, Hayles (Woolley 67')

Subs not used: Clark, Boddy, Hutton, Wilde

🎥 POST-MATCH REACTION 

🗓 UP NEXT AT HOME

City Women return home to the Robins High Performance Centre on Sunday, March 12th to take on Durham.