Derby Women’s 1st XI 3-0 Birmingham Women’s 3rd XI: Convincing win stretches unbeaten run to six

Words by Girvane Bila

Picture by Kurt Bigg

Derby Women’s 1^st XI remain unbeaten after a commanding 3-0 win against Birmingham Women’s 3^rd on Wednesday afternoon.

Goals from Hannah Barber, Sarah Hassanin and Heather Keith stretched their unbeaten run in the league to six games under manager Adam Jones.

Derby started well and asserted their dominance in the first half, creating chances early on as Evie Mills’ shot from range forced a save from the opposition keeper. Just minutes after, Kate Wright was unable to convert from a set-piece as she blazed over from inside the six-yard box.

The home side eventually made the breakthrough through a well-worked move which saw Barber slot it away from close-range, giving Derby a deserved lead. Their advantage was doubled courtesy of a goalkeeping error as Mills’ crossed was spilt into the path of Hassanin who prodded home.

Barber could have scored her second of the first half following an excellent run through the middle but her shot was saved by the Birmingham keeper before Mills’ strike received the same response.

The second half saw much of the same as Derby dominated and could have grabbed a third but, after rounding the keeper, Hassanin missed the target. That goal did come minutes later though as Heather Keith secured all three points with a superb long-range strike.

Derby are now top of the league thanks to their convincing win which lifts them above De Montfort on goal difference. They will look to repeat their stellar performance next Wednesday against bottom side Anglia Ruskin Women’s 1^st and keep themselves in pole position.