Arsenal Ladies 6 Birmingham Ladies 2
With a belatedly fired-up Arsenal having scored on 90 minutes to go 4-2 up they were generously allowed time to rattle in two more at the death as Birmingham heads finally went down.
Vic Akers’ side mirror Arsene Wenger’s with their slick, fluid style and lightning fast counter attacks but uncharacteristically lacked a cutting edge in a lacklustre opening.
That made it all the more galling for the travelling fans as Blues gifted the opening goal to their opponents in the 15th minute when a Rachel Yankey free-kick was whipped in from the right and allowed to reach the far post where Katie Chapman laid it off for Wales skipper Jayne Ludlow to fire into the roof of the net from six yards.
Arsenal almost doubled their advantage in the 31st minute when the ball bobbled around the box and deflected to Scotland’s Julie Fleeting whose low drive was brilliantly scrambled away by Blues keeper Sue Wood with Michelle Hickmott showing the composure to dribble off the line from a weak follow-up.
Wood produce a breathtaking reaction save in first-half injury time, twisting in the air to claw away a Gemma Davison strike which took a wicked deflection off Sally Stanton.
Birmingham had worked hard to contain their illustrious hosts and had their reward a minute after the restart when a trademark Katy Ward hail Mary throw was flicked on by a leaping Amy McCann for Becky Hall to send an unstoppable effort into the top right corner.
Two minutes later the wind was taken out of Blues’ sails with more than a little help from officials who failed to stop former Blue Karen Carney’s blatant body check which prevented Stanton leaping to head clear a long ball down the middle which dropped for an offside looking Gemma Davison to restore the hosts’ advantage.
Davison again went close moments later but Blues refused to buckle and were back on level terms in the 59th minute, a Wood clearance down the left saw Maz Gauntlett hare out of the blocks to outpace a retreating defence before crossing low for McCann who took a touch before firing home her third in six matches.
Arsenal hit back on the hour Davison crossing to an unmarked Ludlow who was denied by a sprawling Wood. But within a minute it was 3-2, the impressive Davison slaloming down the right before crossing low for Fleeting to smack home despite the best efforts of Wood, who got a glove to it.
Carney had the crowd on their feet four minutes from time when she cheekily teed herself up for a half-volley she sent inches over and the killer blow came in the 90th minute, Carney’s fearsome rising drive brilliantly saved by Wood only to bounce back off the top of the bar for a clearly offside Fleeting to tap in from virtually on the line.
Arsenal were enjoying themselves and, with a compliant official obediently awarding free-kicks for every one of Akers’ frequent protestations, put the icing on the cake with eye-catching extra time finishes, Kim Little running onto a wonderful Fleeting through ball to fire home and Davison saving the best to last with a perfect finish around Wood and into the top right corner.
Teams; Arsenal: Rebecca Spencer; Alex Scott, Jayne Ludlow, Gilly Flaherty (Eartha Pond, 70min), Julie Fleeting, Rachel Yankey, Gemma Davison, Kaz Carney, Laura Bassett, Kim Little, Katie Chapman. Subs not used: Natalie Ross, Dannii Bird.
Blues: Sue Wood; Faye Cardin, Sally Stanton, Kerys Harrop, Michelle Hickmott; Katy Ward, Heather Scheuber, Crissy Torkildsen (Keeley Lowe, 85), Maz Gauntlett (Milly Durrant, 66); Amy McCann, Becky Hall. Subs not used: Jemma Buttler, Chloe Foster.
Booked: Cardin, 49min dissent.
