Damage in the Box!: CADBURY ATHLETIC (Bournville Lane)

CRUSADERS LADIES FC

I normally wouldn't watch Women's football, if I'm completely honest, but seeing as (a) I was travelling nearby en-route home and (b) it was a chance to see a competitive game at a ground I'd previously missed, I thought why not today?

The Crusaders Ladies are Birmingham based and play the majority of their home games at Bournville Lane, the 'home' of Cadbury Athletic.

The landowners of the Cadbury ground would not allow the (mens) football club to erect floodlights necessary for them to obtain promotion, so they moved out to groundshare, firstly with Pilkington XXX and now, with Alvechurch, hence why I missed them!

Surely she's offside?

Therefore the first round proper of the Women's FA Cup was a good opportunity to get the ground 'ticked' off. Admission was free and there was a bonus of a 4 page programme, which was also free.

Crusaders play in the West Midlands Regional League Division One South, which is Step 5 of the Women's pyramid as do their opponents today, Coventry Sphinx. This is the first time either side had reached the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Coventry Sphinx were the higher placed team in league, but Crusaders had beaten them in the league 3-0 earlier in the season. It was therefore all to play for.

However, in the end the game went with form and Coventry Sphinx ran out pretty comfortable winners. The game was effectively over by half time as Coventry scored three times without reply. After 16 minutes Catherine Smith fired a screamer into the top corner from 20 yards before Chantelle Stanley doubled the advantage after 28 minutes when she curled home a free kick from the edge of the box.

Nikki Brazil had a great chance to bring the Crusaders back into the game as the ball ran loose, the Sphinx goalie was well out of position and the goal was open but she ran out of steam before she could tap home and a defender was able to clear.

That was as good as it got for the homesters as Kaya Zeen completed the scoring for Sphinx right on half time when she was left unmarked in the box to head home a corner kick.

The second half was pretty much a non-event as the game was over but Sphinx did have chances to extend their lead but it wasn't to be. They now go into the hat for the second round.

I went to this game with an open mind and overall I enjoyed the game,the pace was not as fast as the mens game but there were moments of quality and it was a well contested encounter. Would I go again? Well never say never....