Birmingham City Women: A season-ending injury and a new contract
Birmingham City Women started 2025 with a victory over basement side Portsmouth to remain top of the Championship table.
Ava Baker, Ellie Mason and Cho So-hyun scored in the 3-1 win as Blues pulled one point clear at the top. London City’s victory over Bristol City means they now trail league leaders Blues.
Blues had to work for their points after Sophie Quirk pulled one back for Pompey to make it 2-1 but Cho scored the decisive third goal straight from kick-off.
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Head coach Amy Merricks said: “I was so pleased with that response. I know everyone will be frustrated about conceding, and we do not want to concede, but we spoke about taking the game by the scruff of the neck and I thought the team did that.
“We went straight up the other end and got a much deserved goal. I’m really pleased with the response in that moment, it shows the togetherness of the team.”
Players show support for Lily Agg
Baker and Mason celebrated the former’s opening goal with a tribute to teammate Lily Agg after she suffered an ACL injury in training. The Irish midfielder has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery.
Posting on Instagram, Agg said: “2025 is over for me before it even began. Devastated to have done my ACL, I don’t really have any words right now to sum up my emotions. All I know is I’ll be back… not sure when but I will be. Massive thank you to those who have messaged me and reached out.”
Agg joined Blues from London City Lionessess in the summer of 2023 and ended her first campaign with the Supporters’ Player of the Year and top goalscorer awards. Agg has scored nine times in 37 appearances for the club.
A new deal for Neve Herron
Blues have extended Neve Herron’s contract by a further year until the end of the 2026/27 season after her impressive start to the season. Herron, who recently earned a call-up to the England under-23 side, only signed a new deal last January but Blues have moved swiftly to tie down one of their key players.
Herron, 21, has started all 14 of Blues Women’s matches this season and has been an ever-present in the side since arriving from Sunderland in 2023. At the end of her first season at the club, Herron picked up the Young Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards.
Next up: Bristol City
It’s first against third in the Women’s Championship on Sunday with Blues hosting Bristol City at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
The Robins have returned to the Championship after a season in the Super League where they finished bottom after losing 18 of their 22 matches. They are a force in the second tier once again though and pipped Blues to promotion by a point in the 2022/23 season.
It will be the first game of a trial at St Andrew’s which will see supporters attending women’s matches allowed to consume alcohol in their seats. Drinking alcohol in view of the pitch isn’t permitted under the rules of the Football Association, but as the Women’s Championship doesn’t fall under their umbrella this trial is being rolled out to see whether it improves attendances and match day experiences.
