In front of over 800 supporters at Ashton Gate, Bristol Academy booked their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Women's Champions League. Rahney United, Irish National League winners for the last two seasons, seemed to have a mountain to climb if they had any hope of overturning a 4-0 first leg deficit when they made the short journey to Bristol on Thursday night. But they managed to hold off the FA Women's Super League team until the second half.
The first 45 minutes was a half of few opportunities, with Bristol finding Rahney's changed 4-1-4-1 formation difficult to break down. The first real chance occurred when Angharad James picked out Natasha Harding on the wing whose cross skipped across the face of goal, but no-one was able to get a touch on it. But the best chance of the half fell to Player of the Match, Nikki Watts, whose first time shot was collected by keeper Niamh Reid-Burke after a great individual run from Sophie Ingle.
Both teams started the 2nd half better, but with Academy keeping more possession and looking the most likely to score. And that they did. A long ball forward from defence found Harding in space on the right, she pulled the ball back to Watts on the edge of the box who controlled it and laid it off for Spanish striker Natalia to curl a shot into the far corner. Ten minutes later, James put the result beyond doubt with a neat finish from a tight angle. Good team build-up play moved Bristol from the halfway line into Rahney's box and James latched onto a Harding pass to shoot beyond the keeper at the near post.
With just over 15 minutes left, Pearl Slattery pulled one back for the away side. Against the run of play, Rahney were awarded a free-kick and the deep cross was headed home by the midfielder. It proved, however, to be nothing more than a consolation as Academy held out for the win and progressed past the Last 32 for the first time in their history.
After Liverpool Ladies second leg 3-0 loss away to Linkopings, Bristol become the last English side left in the competition and now meet Barcelona, holders and three time winners of the Primera Division (the top league in Spain), in the next round. Barcelona, who reached the quarter-final last year where they lost to eventual finalists Wolfsburg, beat Slavia Prague 4-0 on aggregate to reach the last 16. The first leg, which is scheduled for the weekend of 8th/9th November will be played at Barcelona Men's training ground with the home leg a week later at Ashton Gate.
Teams
Bristol Academy: Earps, Dykes (Brown 55), Yorston (del Rio 51), Matthews, McCatty, Natalia (Simmonds-Bird 85), Watts, Ingle, James, Rose (C), Harding
Rahney United: Reid-Burke, Walsh, Slattery, Creagh (C) (Barnes 82), Graham, McCabe, Murray (Cronin 73), Killeen, O'Farrelly, Dwyer (Brieley 65), Eiriksdottir
Bristol Academy: Earps, Dykes (Brown 55), Yorston (del Rio 51), Matthews, McCatty, Natalia (Simmonds-Bird 85), Watts, Ingle, James, Rose (C), Harding
Rahney United: Reid-Burke, Walsh, Slattery, Creagh (C) (Barnes 82), Graham, McCabe, Murray (Cronin 73), Killeen, O'Farrelly, Dwyer (Brieley 65), Eiriksdottir
Highlights from the Bristol Academy YouTube account.