FA WSL: Birmingham 1 - Arsenal 1

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Birmingham relinquished the advantage in the FA Women’s Super League title race, as they drew with Arsenal in a hard fought top-of-the-table clash.

Blues took the lead in the 26th minute thanks to Rachel Williams 12th goal of the season, but after Karen Carney missed the chance to double the hosts’ advantage, Kim Little grabbed a point for Arsenal in the 69th minute – in front of the biggest crowd ever at Stratford Town’s DCS Stadium.

The game took a while to get going, with both teams appearing to realise just how big an occasion it was, but it was the Gunners who adjusted to the task the quickest.

The visitors enjoyed ample amounts of space in and around the Blues box, and this allowed Ellen White, Danielle Carter and Little to all test Marie Hourihan in the Birmingham goal.

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Little then troubled the Blues defence again a minute later, as she was left free to run into the box, but the 21-year-old dragged her shot horribly wide.

Blues were struggling to impose themselves on the game, but out of nowhere Williams handed the hosts the lead.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emma Byrne made a hash of her clearance and Karen Carney pounced to slip Williams through, who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.

David Parker’s side were full of confidence and Kerys Harrop almost made it 2-0 immediately after, but her header just drifted over from Jo Potter’s free kick.

The Blues were contempt with slowing the tempo down until the interval. However, Emily Westwood had other ideas and Byrne had to be at her best to parry Westwood’s stinging drive away.

Despite chances continuing to be at a premium, the match did open up after the interval.

Williams continued to harrow the Arsenal back four, and with 49 minutes on the clock, the former Doncaster Rovers Belles striker tried her luck from 25 yards. But Byrne made a terrific save.

The away side responded and substitute Julie Fleeting almost scored an equaliser but Hourihan did well to tip the ball over.

The turning point of the afternoon came when Karen Carney wasted a golden opportunity to seal the game for Blues.

Carney’s strike partner Williams, played her in after an Arsenal error and with just Byrne to beat, the 24-year-old could only hit the bar with a side-footed shot.

This spurred the Gunners into action and they equalised through Little.

The midfielder cut in behind Birmingham’s defence and slammed the ball home from the edge of the area, with brutal conviction.

Both sides pushed for a winner in the last 20 minutes but the closest anyone came was Arsenal’s Rachel Yankey, with a shot drifting over.

Blues remain two points ahead of the Gunners, but with the visitors having a game in hand, the Borehamwood-based outfit will win the title if they win their remaining three fixtures.

Blues: Hourihan, Weston, Harrop, Stanton, Bassett (C), Carney (Ballard 81), Williams, Scheuber (Susi 45), Moore, Westwood.

Unused subs: Wright, Curtis, Watts.

Arsenal: Byrne, Houghton, Flaherty, Grant, Nobbs (Ludlow 49), E White (Fleeting 59), Yankey, Carter, Little, Chapman (C), Fahey.

Unused subs: F White, Spencer, Beattie.

Goals: Williams (26), Little (69).

Player of the match: Kerys Harrop

Attendance: 824

Fawsl.com
Sportsister, The Women’s Sports Magazine

Image credit: The FA via Getty Images

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