London City Lionesses Beat Birmingham City 4-1 in the WSL to Stay Third as Pattinson, Cascarino, Geyoro and Diani Score
London City Lionesses beat Birmingham City 4-1 at home in Bromley on Sunday, November 8, in Matchweek 9 of the Women's Super League. Goals from Poppy Pattinson, Delphine Cascarino, Grace Geyoro and substitute Kadidiatou Diani kept the hosts in third place in the table. Both teams had lost the weekend before.
London City were quick out of the blocks. Pattinson opened the scoring inside ten minutes with a shot into the top corner. Cascarino made it 2-0 soon after, finishing into the roof of the net at the near post. The hosts were two up inside the first 15 minutes, and they had most of the possession in the first half.
Birmingham had chances to hit back. Sophie Baggaley, the Birmingham goalkeeper, saved a shot from Alexia Putellas. Birmingham striker Oceane Hurtre also broke through twice, but she could not find the net in the first half. London City went in at the break with a two-goal lead.
Manager Eder Maestre made two changes at half-time. Diani and Janni Thomsen came on for Daniëlle van de Donk and Maria Perez. Birmingham gave themselves hope five minutes into the second half. They worked a corner routine, and Hurtre fired the ball past Mary Earps from the edge of the box to make it 2-1.
The hosts took control again. They also had a goal ruled out for offside. Geyoro then made it 3-1 in the 74th minute. The ball fell to her outside the box, and she hit it into the top left-hand corner. Baggaley made more saves to keep the score down, including one from a shot by Freya Godfrey.
Diani settled the match in stoppage time. She scored from the middle of the box in the second minute of added time. She was the difference-maker in the second half after coming on.
Maestre had made changes to the side. Pattinson started at right-back in place of the injured Lucia Corrales. Nicole Anyomi and Cascarino came in for Godfrey and Isobel Goodwin. Mary Earps kept her place in goal despite the loss to Manchester City the week before. For Birmingham, Lily Crosthwaite and Asato Miyagawa came in after their defeat to Tottenham.
London City now travel across London to face Arsenal next weekend. Birmingham host Aston Villa in a Midlands derby.