Kim Little and Julie Fleeting score the goals to down Bristol.
Arsenal put behind them the pain of last season’s FA Women’s Cup sponsored by E.ON Final defeat by reclaiming the trophy they have made their own in recent years at the expense of Bristol Academy.
Twelve months ago Everton recorded an extra-time victory over the Gunners at The City Ground, ending a run of four consecutive Final victories for Arsenal, but the north Londoners bounced back in style, outplaying first-time Finalists Bristol en route to collecting their eleventh Women’s Cup crown.
Talented Scottish midfielder Kim Little fired Arsenal ahead on 19 minutes with a goal which went some way to justifying her increasing reputation in the game before her compatriot Julie Fleeting headed the second, and final, goal just after the half-hour mark.
A beautiful May day and an immaculate playing surface welcomed the two teams at Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena, and, keen to make an impression in their maiden Final, Bristol started brightly, forcing an early corner which Anouk Hoogendijk headed wide.
Mark Sampson’s side hassled and harried the perennial Cup winners in the early exchanges, forcing the Gunners backline into one or two shaky clearances, but, almost inevitably Arsenal grew into the game and forced the West Country side onto the back foot.
Ellen White, operating on the right of a front three, had a shot blocked and Jordan Nobbs sent a dipping volley just over the bar before Little broke the deadlock with a classy finish. She picked the ball up on the edge of the Bristol box, nutmegged Jemma Rose, jinked past Corinne Yorston and coolly slipped the ball beyond Siobhan Chamberlain in the Academy goal. It was a goal befitting any Final.
Arsenal’s lead could have been doubled just moments later when White cut inside from the left and found Fleeting in space in the box but the forward’s side-foot shot was diverted for a corner by Yorston.
With Laura Harvey’s side now comfortably on top, Fleeting didn’t have to wait too long for another opportunity to arise and she doubled the north Londoners’ advantage on 32 minutes, just seconds after hitting the bar with a poked effort. Left-back Niamh Fahey combined with Katie Chapman from a throw-in, advanced to the by-line and dug out a fine cross which Fleeting headed home.
The mercurial Scot might have made the cushion even more comfortable when she was picked out by Little but contrived to head over from 12 yards.
Bristol had been forced to defend for the majority of the half and other than Hoogendijk’s header, their only other real effort of note was Helen Bleazard’s added time free-kick which sailed over Emma Byrne’s bar.
Bristol were forced into a half-time substitution as the injured Jess Fishlock was replaced by Lillie Billson, but Arsenal began the second half as they had ended the first with Little forcing Chamberlain into a 49th-minute save from Rachel Yankey’s cutback.
Bristol knew one goal would get them back into the game and the closest they came was from another Bleazard free-kick on 67 minutes which struck the crossbar.
However, neither side could create many decent chances in a slightly underwhelming second half. Bristol had an uphill struggle to overcome their two-goal deficit while Arsenal knew all they had to do was see the game out sensibly.
Little, though, sought to put further daylight between the two FA WSL sides when forcing Chamberlain into another save from close range following a Jennifer Beattie, on for Fleeting, knockdown.
The diminutive midfielder was at it once more as the final whistle drew nearer, making in-roads in the Bristol area before forcing Rose into the concession of another corner.
The Final had long looked over and just minutes after Yankey received generous applause from the 13,000-strong crowd upon being substituted, all that was left was for Sian Massey to sound her whistle and bring to an end Arsenal’s 12-month road to redemption.
Twelve months ago Everton recorded an extra-time victory over the Gunners at The City Ground, ending a run of four consecutive Final victories for Arsenal, but the north Londoners bounced back in style, outplaying first-time Finalists Bristol en route to collecting their eleventh Women’s Cup crown.
Talented Scottish midfielder Kim Little fired Arsenal ahead on 19 minutes with a goal which went some way to justifying her increasing reputation in the game before her compatriot Julie Fleeting headed the second, and final, goal just after the half-hour mark.
A beautiful May day and an immaculate playing surface welcomed the two teams at Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena, and, keen to make an impression in their maiden Final, Bristol started brightly, forcing an early corner which Anouk Hoogendijk headed wide.
Mark Sampson’s side hassled and harried the perennial Cup winners in the early exchanges, forcing the Gunners backline into one or two shaky clearances, but, almost inevitably Arsenal grew into the game and forced the West Country side onto the back foot.
Ellen White, operating on the right of a front three, had a shot blocked and Jordan Nobbs sent a dipping volley just over the bar before Little broke the deadlock with a classy finish. She picked the ball up on the edge of the Bristol box, nutmegged Jemma Rose, jinked past Corinne Yorston and coolly slipped the ball beyond Siobhan Chamberlain in the Academy goal. It was a goal befitting any Final.
Arsenal’s lead could have been doubled just moments later when White cut inside from the left and found Fleeting in space in the box but the forward’s side-foot shot was diverted for a corner by Yorston.
With Laura Harvey’s side now comfortably on top, Fleeting didn’t have to wait too long for another opportunity to arise and she doubled the north Londoners’ advantage on 32 minutes, just seconds after hitting the bar with a poked effort. Left-back Niamh Fahey combined with Katie Chapman from a throw-in, advanced to the by-line and dug out a fine cross which Fleeting headed home.
The mercurial Scot might have made the cushion even more comfortable when she was picked out by Little but contrived to head over from 12 yards.
Bristol had been forced to defend for the majority of the half and other than Hoogendijk’s header, their only other real effort of note was Helen Bleazard’s added time free-kick which sailed over Emma Byrne’s bar.
Bristol were forced into a half-time substitution as the injured Jess Fishlock was replaced by Lillie Billson, but Arsenal began the second half as they had ended the first with Little forcing Chamberlain into a 49th-minute save from Rachel Yankey’s cutback.
Bristol knew one goal would get them back into the game and the closest they came was from another Bleazard free-kick on 67 minutes which struck the crossbar.
However, neither side could create many decent chances in a slightly underwhelming second half. Bristol had an uphill struggle to overcome their two-goal deficit while Arsenal knew all they had to do was see the game out sensibly.
Little, though, sought to put further daylight between the two FA WSL sides when forcing Chamberlain into another save from close range following a Jennifer Beattie, on for Fleeting, knockdown.
The diminutive midfielder was at it once more as the final whistle drew nearer, making in-roads in the Bristol area before forcing Rose into the concession of another corner.
The Final had long looked over and just minutes after Yankey received generous applause from the 13,000-strong crowd upon being substituted, all that was left was for Sian Massey to sound her whistle and bring to an end Arsenal’s 12-month road to redemption.
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