Thursday November 22, 2007
National Division, Redditch United.
Birmingham 1-0 Rovers

ROVERS Ladies slipped to their third defeat in four games to mark their worst run of results under manager Adam Lakeland.

The scores were goalless at the break, but a 53rd-minute strike from Blues' midfielder Sally Lacey handed the home side the points.

Rovers piled on the pressure against the Midlands club, but came up against a Birmingham keeper, in Sue Wood, in inspired form.

Katie Andeton, Lynda Shepherd and Natalie Preston were all denied by the young keeper, whilst Rovers stopper Sian Payne blocked a great chance from Amy McCann before making another sensational injury-time save to deny Birmingham their second.

Lakeland said: "It's the first game we've been beaten when we truly didn't deserve to get anything from the game. From start to finish, we seemed offensively poor.

"We are accustomed to producing plenty of chances and plenty of goals, but the quality of our play in their half wasn't good enough. The bad run is down to bad luck - we know we've got sufficient quality and character in this team to turn things around."

ROVERS: Payne, Carroll (Walsh 9), Brewer, Twohig, Harding, Burke, Preston, Shepherd, Campbell (Hanson 75), Anderton, Daniel (Fleck 72).