BCLFC 3 Watford 2
Receiving the ball outside of the area and with her back to goal in the 91st minute, Stanton stole a glance over her shoulder before lobbing the ball up and over a stranded Marie Hourihan in the Watford goal, prompting delirious celebrations and hoisting her side into the dizzy heights of the top four.
Birmingham boss Stuart Wilson should take credit, having thrown rookie centre-back Jenni Foster into the fray in the 53rd minute - with the sides level at 1-1 - so Stanton could move forward from central defence to add bite into midfield.
The hosts had roared out of the blocks after suffering their first back-to-back defeats of the season and in the opening nine minutes Becky Hall was three times given clear sight of goal only to uncharacteristically fluff her lines, albeit under pressure on the third occasion.
And Watford almost punished that profligacy in the 26th minute when Ashlee Hicks advanced on goal unchallenged from the left before smacking a firmly struck effort onto the foot of the left-hand post.
Blues responded in style 11 minutes later when Faye Cardin’s throw saw Maz Gauntlett find Hall with a lovely flicked pass and although the striker sliced her effort across goal, Katy Ward spun at the far post to fire it into the bottom right hand corner.
Blues were caught sleeping within seconds of the restart with arch predator Helen Lander first onto an Emma Thomas ball over the top to fire past an exposed Sue Wood.
Birmingham’s second goal was a delight and just reward for another towering performance by striker Amy McCann. The Northern Ireland forward brilliantly flicked on a long ball down the middle to Hall and her former Wolves team mate returned the favour with a delayed return which saw McCann wrong-foot three markers and get behind the Watford defence to smash home an emphatic left-foot finish in the 68th minute.
It should have been three minutes later when Gauntlett powered down the left and found Hall who crossed low for McCann whose close range effort was well saved by a sprawling Hourihan before dropping to sub Milly Durrant who failed to convert at the far post.
Birmingham looked to have paid the price within seconds as Mikaela Howell left her marker trailing and hit a powerful effort which limped over the line after Wood took the sting out of it.
In the 79th minute Gauntlett again broke and found Hall whose shot was stopped by Hourihan and again dropped kindly for Durrant only for the Wales striker to scuff her effort.
Two minutes on and Blues were fortunate when a Kerys Harrop foul on Watford sub Jodian Clarke was judge to be outside the area, Wood impressively claiming the resulting free-kick to set up Stanton’s barnstorming finish.
Teams, Birmingham: Sue Wood; Faye Cardin, Sally Stanton, Kerys Harrop, Michelle Hickmott; Katy Ward (Milly Durrant, 68min), Heather Scheuber, Crissy Torkildsen (Jenni Foster, 53), Maz Gauntlett (Chloe Foster 79); Becky Hall, Amy McCann. Subs not used: Penny Andrea, Keeley Lowe.
Booked: Stanton, 73, foul.
Watford: Marie Hourihan; Charlie Nicholson, Lisa Burrows, Cori Daniels, Emma Thomas, Ashlee Hincks, Mikaela Howell (Emma Beckett, 85), Helen Lander, Kelly Bingham, Georgie Adams, Sally Wade, (Jodian Clarke). Subs not used: Kelly Hughes, Annie Barratt.
