Birmingham City Ladies 1 Chelsea Ladies 3
A tight game with few chances mirrored the reverse fixture with England goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain the first into action to tip over Blues winger Dannii Bird’s rising drive in the 31st minute after a tremendous diagonal ball from Michelle Hickmott.
Two minutes later the home team - playing at Stratford’s Knights Lane ground with Redditch’s Valley Stadium unavailable - should have been ahead when Laura Bassett dropped an inch perfect ball over the Chelsea back line and striker Amy McCann timed her run perfectly to break the offside trap. But the Northern Ireland forward, who played for her country at Anfield the previous day, hesitated with only Chamberlain to beat and scuffed her effort at the relieved keeper.
The breakthrough came in the 40th minute with a virtuoso effort from leading scorer Becky Hall. The winger robbed Chelsea left-back Sophie Perry and set off, playing a one-two with McCann before riding a penalty area challenge and firing into the roof of the net.
The lead lasted only five minutes of the second half. McCann was penalised for handball 25 yards from goal and England international Casey Stoney whipped a perfect free-kick over and around the wall.
In the 78th minute Blues were indebted to left winger-turned left-back Kate Ward - who had already headed a Danny Buet corner off the goalline - after Fair found Aluko and the fleet-footed forward nicked it past onrushing Blues keeper Sue Wood and towards goal only for Ward to race back and desperately hack clear.
The defender’s good work was undone by a carbon copy effort within 30 seconds, Ellen White haring onto a long ball out of defence, knocking it beyond Kerys Harrop and past a charging Wood before rolling it home for a 2-1 lead.
Three minutes from time Dunia Susi hit the goal of the game, collecting the ball with her back to goal 30 yards out before spinning and hitting a tremendous dipping volley over Wood.
Blues substitute Maz Gauntlett had two late chances, a rasper that flew narrowly high and wide of the top corner on 88 minutes and a half-volley that rolled wide of the right-hand post two minutes into injury time but the hosts were unable to conjure a result for Laura Harvey’s last game as manager.
Teams, Blues: Sue Wood; Chelsea Weston, Laura Bassett, Kerys Harrop, Kate Ward; Becky Hall, Sally Lacey, Heather Scheuber, Michelle Hickmott, Dannii Bird; Amy McCann (Maz Gauntlett, 78min). Subs not used: Steph Samuels, Jemma Buttler, Crissy Torkildsen. Booked: Bassett (obstruction, 74).
Chelsea: Siobhan Chamberlain; Casey Stoney, Sophie Perry, Lorrie Fair, Emma Delves, Kylie Davies, Danny Buet (Claire Rafferty, 60), Lizzie Edwards, Eniola Aluko (Katie Owen, 84), Ellen White, Dunia Susi. Subs not used: Shelby Hills, Laura Cooper.
