Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City

Flint (39), Mayling (63), Allen (65)

villa – Hampton, Pacheco, Asante, Sargeant (N’DOw 50), Mayling, Hutton (Hayles 45), Arthur, Mcloughlin, Allen (C), Lehmann (Littlejohn 97), Boye-Hlorkah

A return to action in our second season in the FAWSL, but our first chance to see our team at home in a competitive match in the top flight. After a trip to The Bell as was no bar in the ground we made our way to the Bescot Stadium and it was so good to catch up with so many people in our little football family that we haven’t had the chance too see since the last Villa Women’s game. And after a little catch up it was finally game time.

The game got underway and Leicester were first to get an attempt on the 9th minute of the game but Hannah Hampton got a finger tip to it to make sure she kept the clean sheet early on. Leicester were in full control and looked like they could score the opening goal but once again it was Hannah Hampton with another fantastic save on the 33rd minute. But unfortunately the deadlock was broke and by Hannah’s high standards she will be gutted this one got away from her as Tash Flint opened the scoring on the 39th minute. In all honesty by the half way point in the game Aston Villa Women couldn’t complain at being behind but a huge 45 minutes to come and would Carla Ward have a plan b.

Carla Ward made the call at half time to change up the game as our reggae girl, Shania Hayles came onto replace Jodie Hutton and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah moved out wide to her more natural position. Villa tried to fight back into the game and looked more like scoring at the start of second half but the game was a little stop-start with injuries and stoppages one of them lead to Elisha N’Dow replacing Meaghan Sargeant on the 50th minute.

It was Hannah Hampton that once again saved Villa’s blushes on the 54th minute as Jess Sigsworth was one on one with Hannah Hampton but making herself big and sticking a boot out saw the score remain 0-1. and for game changing moments less than 10 minutes later Villa won a free kick and Sarah “Beckham” Mayling stepped up and hit the free kick powerful and precise as the keeper couldn’t do nothing as the score was 1-1 and all to play for on the 63rd minute.

The hope now was we could go on and do something in the game and before we had chance to finish another song the turnaround was complete. On the 64th minute Remi Allen, against her former club put us 2-1 ahead from close range. Villa looked for a third and Leicester tried to pull level in the dying minutes as a goal area scramble saw Hannah Hampton once again saved the 3 points for Villa. The ball took an eternity to roll past the post but thankfully it didn’t go in. In the final minute of the match Ruesha Littlejohn came onto replace Alisha Lehmann, who had been fantastic all game including a cracking finish off an offside decision.

The full time whistle went and Villa had made an amazing comeback and Carla Ward proved that when plan a wasn’t working that she wasn’t worried to change things for the better, a sign of a great manager. Leicester had defiantly come to play and made it very hard for us to get anything out the game. Hannah Hampton was kept very busy and without her we wouldn’t of walked away with the 3 points. It was also so good to see so many RTC and Academy players there as well. People such as Missy Goodwin and many more.

We travel up to West Ham next Saturday with an 11.30am kick off, a few of us are staying over night so it could get messy but we will be there to cheer our team on in claret and blue..

Up The Villa!