Peterborough United Women rounded up their pre-season programme with a 4-2 victory over Birmingham City Under 21s at PIMS Park.
Posh Women marked their arrival at PIMS Park in success as Lauren Wilshaw, Jessica Stanford, Courtney Clarke and Edyn Osker all netted in the win over the Blues – extending it to four unbeaten.
Jake Poole used the opportunity to get his squad in shape for the start of the season in earnest next weekend, with Neive Corry coming into the eleven, replacing Sophie Harris in between the sticks.
Poppie Brown and Renai Bennett joined the midfield line, replacing Stanford and Emily Sharpe respectively.
Poole’s side were good value for the victory, and threatened from minute one when Wilshaw and Reynolds combined down the left, sending in a ball towards Jess Rousseau who went a stud width away from poking us in front.
But it was the Blues who would take the lead in a surprising turn, as a neat passing sequence sent their forward through, finishing into the bottom corner.
WILSHAW had room to move forward not long after, and her curling effort found the bottom corner, a fine strike from the winger.
Clarke then launched an attack, with Keir Perkins arriving late at the far post, but her strike lacked the necessary purchase to beat the Blues’ youngster in net.
Birmingham looked to claw back momentum, working a shooting angle for their midfielder, whose strike was comfortable for Corry – who would be forced to dirty her gloves once more minutes later.
The Blues attacker was denied at close range in the first instance, before a white shirt followed up inside a crowded area, only to be denied by the back-peddling Corry, and then the woodwork.
Posh were given a taste of what the second 45 minutes would hold right away when Reynolds’ strike was ruled out for offside after a discussion between the referee and his assistant.
Rousseau then took the ball on the turn, forcing the Blues’ keeper to save low down to her left as Posh pressed for the lead.
The lead eventually came on 67 minutes, this time STANFORD arrived on cue to meet a delivery from Osker to the back post, hitting the ball back across goal to find the bottom corner.
CLARKE took the wind out of the visitors’ sails six minutes later, catching out the Blues’ keeper with an effort from distance.
Birmingham reacted well and came close to reducing the arrears when Corry was forced into a triple save, before the Blues eventually pulled one back with a well-taken effort into the top corner from around 20 yards.
OSKER closed out the show as she recreated a carbon copy of her strike at Cambridge United – advancing forward and firing the ball over the keeper from range.
Posh: Corry, Driscoll-King, Osker, Pitt, Brown, Bennett, Reynolds, Wilshaw, Clarke, Perkins, Rousseau. Subs used: Connor, Sharpe, Curson, Smith, Stanford.
Half-time: Posh Women 1-1 Birmingham City Under 21s
Full-time: Posh Women 4-2 Birmingham City Under 21s