Aston Villa 2-2 Bristol City: Jones salvages point for visitors

Carrie Jones’ stunning second-half equaliser salvaged a vital point for relegation-threatened Bristol City in their 2-2 Women’s Super League draw with Aston Villa.

Jordan Nobbs opened the scoring for the hosts inside 13 minutes at the Bescot Stadium, but her first league goal since March 2023 was cancelled out two minutes later by Amalie Thestrup.

The Robins, who entered the contest bottom of the WSL table and three points behind West Ham, fell behind when Adriana Leon restored the hosts’ lead at the hour mark.

It was all square after Jones struck into the top corner against the run of play, while Villa came within inches of a stoppage-time winner in a thrilling scramble, on an excellent afternoon for new Robins keeper Shae Yanez.

The Robins January signing was called into action early in the contest with an excellent outstretched-leg save to deny Leon from tucking in Kirsty Hanson’s cross at the back post.

Bristol City survived the subsequent onslaught, but there was little Yanez could do when her side failed to clear the game’s first corner and the ball eventually made its way to Rachel Corsie, who teed up Nobbs’ deflected 13th-minute opener.

It took just two minutes for the visitors to equalise, Emily Syme pouncing on Anna Patten’s loose ball to find Thestrup, who punished the lapse with a low finish.

Villa went close with efforts from Kenza Dali and Leon both blocked by the Robins keeper, who had received treatment earlier in the period, with Hanson also sending a good chance over.

There was a flurry of chances for the hosts to take the lead after the break when Yanez, helped at one point by an excellent block from Naomi Layzell, punched away Leon’s cross before alertly responding to Dali’s effort through a crowd, later gathering Daly’s header and again denying Dali.

What felt like an inevitable goal for the hosts finally came when Leon struck past Daphne van Domselaar from a tight angle on the hour mark.

Just as it looked like Villa had clamped down on their lead, several times even coming close to extending their advantage, Dali’s weak clearance inside Villa’s 18-yard box eventually fell to the feet of Jones, who lifted a stunning strike into the top right corner.

It was a galvanising 75th-minute strike for Bristol City, who soon saw substitute Abi Harrison’s effort saved by Van Domselaar, while Ebony Salmon could not find the finish on a potential Villa winner from six yards.

There was another terrific intervention by Layzell to deny Daly a late chance, and, as Bristol City bravely defended five minutes of added time, Nobbs fizzed just over the crossbar, but her side piled on the pressure.

It took a stunning defensive effort by Brooke Aspin and Yanez to prevent a Maz Pacheco winner deep in stoppage time, the referee disagreeing with Villa’s protests that the ball crossed the line.