MAN CITY WOMEN 1, BIRMINGHAM CITY LADIES 1
Already crowned FA Women’s Super League champions, Manchester City Women became invincibles following their draw against Birmingham City Ladies at the Academy Stadium.
They avoided defeat to complete their 16-match league programme unbeaten with a record of 13 victories and three draws on the afternoon the triumphant team was presented with the championship trophy.
It was a lack-lustre City, apart from a late flurry, as Birmingham did their level best to spoil City’s party in front of a crowd of 2,414.
The Midlanders took a sixth minute lead through an Aofie Mannion penalty after Lucy Bronze fouled Andrine Hegerberg.
City were strangely subdued and hardly carved out an opening in a disappointing opening period.
And when City equalised nine minutes into the second half, it was a fluke, a cross from left-back Demi Stokes that arrowed into the top far corner of the net.
Stokes was released by brilliant 60-yard diagonal pass from Toni Duggan, one of the few brightspots of an underwhelming game.
City came close to snatching victory as they suddenly came alive in the last 12 minutes.
Jennifer Beattie’s header from Duggan’s corner was acrobatically turned over the bat by keeper Ann-Katrin Berger who then dived bravely at the feet of substitute Nikita Parris who was clean through.
The lively Parris was then released by Jill Scott but her shot beat Berger but hit the crossbar and the ball was scrambled to safety.
And Paris was denied by the crossbar for a second time in the last minute as City just couldn’t conjure a winner to finish a memorable season with one final league victory.