Un-FOUR-gettable Afternoon for The Blues

 

      Photo from @BCFCWomen 

Slightly difficult to write about this one as, due to the game kicking off at 4pm on a Saturday, it wasn’t able to be shown on the FA Player due to the blackout rule for football between 3-5pm. Add to that, me not being able to get a train home if I went to Sunderland. Sunderland were playing a ‘double-header’ at The Stadium of Light, with their men’s team kicking off at 12:30pm and the hope was that a lot of the fans from that game would stay for the women’s fixture. This didn’t quite go to plan, one to write about another day. To make things even more difficult, BBC Radio Newcastle had issues with the commentary being streamed, a men’s football podcast being played instead. Sure enough, once the men’s football finished, the commentary for the game became available- just in time for the second half.  

The Blues were already 1-0 up by then, with what sounded, well, read, like an excellent goal from Harriet Scott in the final minutes of the first half. One that we will definitely be logging in to the FA Player and waiting eagerly to watch this morning! It did look like Birmingham were very much dominating the first half and had a number of chances. 1-0 up at the break, and things were sounding positive.

Listening to the second half helped build a better picture of the game. Sunderland made some early changes and they seemed to be putting more pressure on The Blues. Blues made a couple of their own changes to freshen things up and seemed to be on top again. Blues doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when Lucy Quinn, who had replaced Charlie Devlin, played the ball to Jade Pennock who took the ball into the Sunderland penalty area and found Siobhan Wilson. In what sounded like another great goal, Wilson fired the ball into the top right hand corner to make it 2-0. Blues made it 3-0 six minutes later when Louise Quinn headed the ball on target, but it was saved by Claudia Moan in the Sunderland goal. Moan couldn’t hold on to it though and Ashley Hodson showed true striker instinct to poke the loose ball home and give Blues fans even more to celebrate from home. Blues weren’t Finn-ished there though! Jamie Finn scored her first Blues goal in the 82nd minute to make it 4-0. Another case of attacking instinct as Moan saved Pennocks effort, for Finn to roll it in. 4-0 to The Blues it finished.

Fantastic performance from The Blues and it sounded like the attacking play I spoke about last week really came to fruition yesterday afternoon. It was gutting that we couldn’t have been there to witness it, but we’re proud of The Blues wherever we are! 

KRO!

Blues’ next game is a six pointer against Crystal Palace on 11th September at St Andrews. The Supporters Group will be meeting at The Roost before the game and it would be lovely to see lots of people there again!