Report & Highlights: Palace Women claim huge win over Bristol City
Crystal Palace Women got three points closer to a promotion spot, with a 2-1 win over Bristol City in the Barclays Women's Super League 2. You can watch the highlights below!
Summary:
Captain Everett makes her 100th appearance in red and blue, whilst there is a return to the squad for Swaby and Littlejohn.
- 18: Pinball in the City box almost leads to a Palace opener
- 21: Robinson lets fly from outside the box, but her effort is just wide
- 25: Great cross from Sharpe is almost steered in by Weerden at the back post
- 30: GOAL - Lloyd-Smith taps home at the back post to give the visitors the lead
- 38: Brzykcy denies Cato an equaliser, and Sharpe's follow-up is blocked as well
- 39: GOAL - Larkin levels it up after a square ball from Howat
- HT: Palace 1 - 1 Bristol City
- 54: Sharpe's clipped cross finds Blanchard in the box, but she scuffs her shot
- 62: GOAL - Weerden blasts the ball into the roof of the net to put Palace ahead
- 79: Good control and turn from Hughes, but her shot is easily saved
- 86: Vanhaevermaet flicks the ball just over the bar
- 90+1: Riley is brought down through on goal, but the referee waves away Palace claims
- 90+6: Vanhaevermaet heads just wide from a Ladd free-kick
- FT Palace 2 - 1 Bristol City
Despite going a goal down early on, Palace Women came from behind to seal a huge home victory against third-place Bristol City.
Lexi Lloyd-Smith opened the scoring, before Abbie Larkin equalised minutes later.
Ashleigh Weerden won it for Palace in the second-half with an absolute thunderbolt, moving the Eagles just one point away from a promotion place.
There were goals at both ends in the first-half, with the Robins taking the lead on 30 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, it was Lloyd-Smith who bagged the opener - tapping home from close range after a header across the box from Cecilie Struck.
Palace should have been level just eight minutes later after My Cato was set clean through, but Lauren Brzykcy denied her at close-range.
The Eagles were not to be denied a second time however, as Larkin levelled proceedings seconds later.
Palace got in behind once more, with Kirsty Howat latching onto a ball over the top.
The Scotland international squared it, and there was Larkin to guide the ball into the bottom corner.
The Eagles should have been ahead on 54 minutes, after Molly-Mae Sharpe's clipped cross found Annabel Blanchard in the box.
The midfielder couldn't get clear contact on the ball however, and her finish rolled just wide.
Once again though, Palace made up for their earlier profligacy - as Weerden fired the Eagles in front on 62 minutes.
Sharpe proved too much for her defender and lofted a great cross to the back post, where Weerden was waiting.
Palace's number 11 took one touch, and blasted the ball into the roof of the Bristol net.
Palace looked the more likely team to score in the second-half, with Vanhaevermaet almost scoring twice with her head.
There was a moment of controversy late on where substitute Indiah-Paige Riley was brought down in the box as she was through on goal.
The referee waved away Palace claims though, and the Eagles were denied an opportunity to go even further ahead.
It was a typically superb performance from captain Aimee Everett, who reached 100 appearances for Palace on the day - making her only the second player to ever do it in the professional era.
This result moves Palace into fourth-place, just one point beyond Bristol City in third.
Next up is a trip to St Andrews to face Birmingham City, click the button below to get your tickets!
Palace: Yañez (GK), Napier, Cato, Everett, Sharpe, Howat (Riley, 89), Weerden, Nolan (Swaby, 73), Ladd, Blanchard (Vanhaevermaet, 73) Larkin (Hughes, 76)
Subs not used: Annets, Arthur, Brown, Littlejohn, Newell
Bristol City: Brzykcy (GK), Powell, Lawley (Wos, 74), Struck, Ingle (Jones, 84), Robinson (Hardy, 68), Losada (Dafeur, 68) Lloyd-Smith, Ward, Syme (Farrugia, 84), Gale
Subs not used: Burns (GK), Morgan, Saez, Madden