Report: London City Lionesses 2-1 Bristol City.

Bristol City Women slipped to a narrow defeat at London City Lionesses as they went down 2-1 at Hayes Lane.  

First half goals from Chantelle Boye-Hiorkah and Sophia Jakobsson put the hosts in the ascendency in the first half, but a much improved second half performance from Steve Kirby’s side saw Amalie Thestrup get a goal back for the Robins, but it was not enough to avoid defeat.

City started on the front foot when Lexi Lloyd Smith ran with the ball into the box after a good run on the right hand side. She played it into the feet of Thestrup, but Emily Orman in goal just got ahead of her.

Thestrup again caused problems as her neat ball then found Napier whose pass found Amy Rodgers, but again Orman claimed.

After 15 minutes, Emily Syme picked up the ball in her own half, pinging it across to Jamie-Lee Napier who got ahead of the keeper but the defensive line held and forced her effort wide of the post.

Despite the earlier chances, in the 16^th minute it was the home side who took the lead. Boye-Hiorkah opened the scoring for the home side, with a fine effort from distance.

Jakobsson then added a second on the counter, with a clinical finish after Charlene Meyong’s neat ball found her on the left-hand side.

City remained in the game and on 31 minutes, pressure was building as they forced two successive corners. London City managed to clear, though, after good work from Syme inside the box.

As the break approached, London City nearly added a third when substitute Isobel Goodwin struck the post from close range.

City had more of the ball in the second half and as the match approached the hour mark, Thestrup and Abi Harrison both found themselves in good positions inside the box but they failed to get their efforts on target.

Syme did have the ball in the net on 65 minutes after Harrison’s header was well saved. The midfielder poked the ball home before the flag was raised for offside.

Three minutes later, Thestrup did get one back for the visitors after a double change from Steve Kirby. Substitute Mari Ward played a part in the goal after playing the ball out wide to Lloyd-Smith who found Thestrup in the middle of the box to fire home.

With 10 minutes to play, City won a free kick on the left-hand side but Ffion Morgan’s floated delivery was unable to find another City shirt.

City pushed for the equaliser and in the final minute of added time, a dangerous cross was claimed by Orman.

Starting XI: Bentley, Bull (Ward 65) , Struck (Humphries 72), Bennett, Powell (Bance 90), Rodgers, Syme, Lloyd-Smith, Harrison (Morgan), Napier, Thestrup

Subs not used: Burns, Humphries, Earl, Woolley, Teisar, Pearce