The Tigresses made it two wins in two in the FAWNL, and a perfect treble across the opening week of the campaign, with a ruthless 4-1 over West Bromwich Albion
The heat hit, minutes before kick off, yet both sides attacked that first half with intensity. Albion very much had the better of the ball in the early stages, and it took the Tigresses a while to find any rhythm in their play – both in and out of possession
Despite the dominance in possession, it was the hosts who had the better of the chances from their attacks.
On 24 minutes (rather fittingly) Hope Knight broke the deadlock. Fantastic footwork from Nicholson on the left hand side of the box, jinked and weaved her way through a number of challenges before prodding the ball to Tanser, who in turn poked it in to the path of Knight. After a wild swing, she recomposed and took a right foot, left foot combo to avoid all challenges, before slotting the ball into the bottom corner
That goal seemed to reset the balance of the game, and finally the Tigresses started to retain possession and the game had more control than in the opening stages.
Albion were very much a threat throughout, dominating the best of the bit between the two boxes, just lacking that final killer touch
and then City made it two…
Left hand side corner that was wickedly whipped in by Nicholson, and who picked out Tanser at the back post to just apply the head in
HT 2-0
West Brom came out, expectedly, in the second half with a fight to get the game back. They applied a lot of early pressure, and with the introduction of Rhianne Oakley proving a positive shift in their front line
But again Wallace didn’t have much to do in terms of big saves, she instead managed her clean up job of the box perfectly behind the willing and tenacious Hamill/Tug-Andrew duo
It was the hosts who then got the next one.
Throughout City’s pressing had been a problem for the visitors, and it was on another turnover that anther corner was won. Same as before Nicholson stepped up and viciously swung the delivery in, this time evading everyone before flying in for her first for the club
West Brom got one back during a relentless attacking spell. A whipped cross from the left was only nudged on by JTA, before Phoebe Warner prodded home at the far post
As West Brom ramped up the pressure on this opportunity, it was City who hit the next blow. Defending deep, Knight intercepted the opposition pass in to the box before setting Ackroyd away, who quickly gifted it to Haywood. A lightning counter from Haywood drove the Tigresses up the pitch before again releasing Ackroyd. Her first attempt was blocked, as she looked the cut back her standing foot was clipped – penalty
Up stepped Knight – bottom corner
FT 4-1
Photography: Laura Snow (l.snow images)