City travelled to fourth place Wolves on Sunday and it turned out to be a titanic battle with a cross field breeze on a great playing surface.

City started brightly enough in the early exchanges and took an early lead after 10 minutes when Natasha Meade and Nat Reay combined well down the right which resulted in a City corner. Left midfielder, Leah Rawle, took a left footed in-swinging corner from the right which was a perfect delivery as it floated into the net between the Wolves keeper, Thomas, and the crossbar.

However the lead didn't last long as Wolves pulled level after City's Jade Radburn conceded a free kick just outside City's box on the right. Lambeth curled it in, no City player moved as it went between defenders and keeper Laura Niblett and crept into the bottom of the net, a sloppy goal to concede by the Foxes.

Straight after this City full back Lekeisha Gumbs had to go off injured and Caz Toone slotted into her place.

City pushed on, a Courtney Sweetman-Kirk run was fouled, Rawle took the kick with a powerful shot that cannoned off the Wolves defender and fell to Radburn but after having to move the ball around the referee she fired wide.
Wolves came back with an effort by Quick but keeper Niblett was equal to it.

Back came the Foxes. Lauren Impey hit a long free kick forward that split the Wanderers back four, Sweetman-Kirk latched onto it and smashed a great volley home from 20 yards that gave keeper, Thomas, no chance. This spurred City on, first skipper, Remi Allen fired into the keeper, then Meade hit a tremendous shot against the Wolves crossbar. With the interval approaching Rawle had to leave the field with City's second injury and was replaced by Zira Handley.

The second period both teams seemed to up lift the tempo, as City made their last sub soon after as Harriet Crofts replaced an injured Nicole Nymoen. The game became hectic and frantic with no quarter given. Wolves put City under pressure as shots by Lambeth and Wilde peppered the City keeper, Niblett, but her handling was superb. Centre backs, Radburn and Impey, were a pillar of strength and they were ably supported by Toone and Crofts as they fought a rear guard action during this spell. City got back on track as Allen marshalled the troops and was in the thick of things. The pace and energy of Handley was giving city options as Meade wasted a couple of chances to try and increase City's lead.

Deep lying forward, Sweetman-Kirk was a revolution as she held the ball up with twisting and turning to take players on and bring other players into the game. The game was finely balanced and Allen almost got City's Hannah Barrett in with a nicely weighted free kick. Back came Wolves and keeper, Niblett, made a great save from Johnson in the dying minutes but City were not finished as Meade broke away but shot wide to finish the game off.

This was a hard earned win for City that shows they have character as they go 2 points clear at the top of the table with 4 games to go for City. The title race is certainly hotting up.

Squad - Laura Niblett, Jade Radburn, Lauren Impey, Leah Rawle, Nicole Nymoen, Lekeisha Gumbs, Remi Allen (C), Hannah Barrett, Natalie Reay, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, Natasha Meade, Harriet Crofts, Caz Toone, Zira Handley.

Report By Rehanne Skinner