Report: Haines brace secures all three points in seven-goal thriller

Summary

• Palace get off to a perfect start in the opening minute as Coral Haines scores from the spot
• The Eagles double their lead through Charley Clifford 15 minutes in
• Siohban Wilson hits the crossbar directly from a corner moments later
• The Robins pull one back five minutes before half-time
• Kirsty Barton finishes brilliantly for Palace’s third in stoppage time
• Half-time: Crystal Palace 3-1 Bristol City
• Barton adds another for the Eagles just after half-time
• Bristol City pull one back through Simran Jhamat
• Aggie Beever-Jones heads in another for the Robins in the 90th minute
• Palace hold on to secure all three points
• Full-time: Crystal Palace 4-3 Bristol City

The Eagles were welcomed back to Hayes Lane, for their first game of their new season, by the returning fans who were in full voice.

Encouraged by the fans, the Palace pressed forward straight from kick-off and won a penalty after Siohban Wilson was brought down inside the box.

Coral Haines stepped up from the 12-yards and made no mistake to give the Eagles a perfect start with just a minute on the clock.

The Eagles settled into the game after taking the lead and won a succession of corners. They capitalised on these corners a quarter of an hour in through Charley Clifford, the midfielder got the final touch of a goalmouth scramble to double the advantage for the Eagles.

Wilson nearly added another for the Eagles moments later as she rattled the crossbar directly from her own corner.

In the five minutes of time that were added on to the first-half after Wilson went down during the build up to the Bristol City goal, the Eagles added their third.

Haines picked out Kirsty Barton in the box after a powerful run and the Palace No.18 finished brilliantly past the Robins’ goalkeeper Fran Bentley.

The Eagles started the second half brightly and extended their lead further through Haines. The midfielder was picked out by a fantastic cross from Leanne Cowan down the Palace right and finished with ease inside the box.

The visitors pulled another one back through second-half substitute Simran Jhamat just under five minutes later, as they continued to fight their way back into the game.

The game settled after a frantic opening ten minutes of the second-half as Palace looked to consolidate the two goal advantage.

Both sides had their chances to add to their tallies as the game progressed, though Palace came closest through second-half substitutes Bianca Baptiste and Millie Farrow combining well. Farrow, the Palace No.9, fired a shot just over the bar from inside the box.

Palace looked to see the game out as full-time was looming, however the Robins pulled yet another goal back through substitute Aggie Beever-Jones heading home from a corner in the 90th minute.

The Eagles safely navigated a late Bristol City surge in the four minutes of stoppage time to secure all three points in their first game of the season.

Crystal Palace: Morgan, Johnson, Everett, Waldie, Cowan, Wilson (Farrow 63), Clifford, Churchill, Barton, Haines (McLean 85), Sharpe (Baptiste 69).

Subs not used: Baptiste, Nichol, Coombs, McLean, Orman.

Bristol City: Bentley, Powell, Cataldo (Allen 82), Murray, Aspin (Jhamat 45), Layzell, Palmer, Kuyken, Harrison, Johnson (Beever-Jones 65), Woolley (Cook 82).

Subs not used: Foley, Whitehouse, Bull, Collis, Wilde.