COVENTRY United Ladies slipped to the bottom of the FA Women’s Championship after Abi Harrison’s late equaliser saw them draw 1-1 with Bristol City at Butts Park Arena.
Rio Hardy fired Coventry into the lead on 44 minutes only for Harrison to level eight minutes from time and rescue a point for the visitors.
United’s result – coupled with Watford’s win on Sunday – means Coventry are now bottom of the table having collected just two points from their eight league matches.
Coventry started on the front foot and came close to breaking the deadlock when a free-kick was laid off to Katie Wilkinson who drilled a low effort inches past the post.
The Red and Greens then looked to make the most of a goalkeeping error when Naomi Hartley’s hopeful ball forward was chased down by Destiney Toussaint and fumbled by Bristol keeper Sophie Whitehouse before the ball was smothered to safety.
Bristol should have taken the lead soon after when Melissa Johnson exchanged passes with Harrison in the box only for Coventry keeper Olivia Clarke to get her fingertips to the latter’s square pass before Alanah Mann cleared the danger.
And United made the Robins pay for that missed chance when Katy Morris found Hardy who raced into the box and produced a superb finish in off the left-hand post to put the Red and Greens in front at the break.
Coventry thought they had doubled their lead early in the second period when Charlie Estcourt’s pass was controlled by Hardy who finished well beyond Whitehouse only for the linesman’s flag to rule the goal out for offside.
The visitors then spurned a great chance to draw level when Aggie Beever-Jones found Johnson in space only for the striker to fire her effort over the bar.
Johnson then wasted another opportunity when she was played through by Lia Cataldo before slipping an effort the wrong side of the post.
But the away side would eventually find their equaliser when Chloe Bull’s cross into the box hit the bar before Harrison drilled home the loose ball to deny United a crucial three points.
Coventry return to action away at Lewes on Sunday, November 14 with kick-off at 1:30pm at the Dripping Pan.
