A last gaps two minute double salvo from Super League leaders Birmingham downed a brave Bristol Academy in a pulsating match at the Stoke Gifford Stadium.
Marie Ballard hit the Blues into an early lead before the game really got into gear with twenty minutes to go, Jess Fishlock equalising before Ann-Marie Heatherson nodded the home side into the lead. That wasn't to be enough, though, Chelsea Weston thumped a stunning strike to level the game once again with two minutes left and from the very next Birmingham attack Rachel Williams, the leagues top scorer, added to her growing tally with a fine finish.
Academy made two changes from the starting line up that lost by the same 3-2 scoreline to Lincoln on Friday, Helen Bleazard and Lillie Billson the players to miss out, being replaced by Kaite Daley and Jaz Matthews. When the team sheets were handed in there were another two replacements for the visitors, Izzy Christiansen and Jade Moore dropped due to injury, but that wasn't to be the end of the switches, goalkeeper Marie Hourihan forced to pull out in the warm up, thus promoting Leanne Hall to the starting line up for the first time this season.
The game, played in front of the live ESPN cameras, got off to an exciting start, Bristol being awarded a free kick for a foul on forward Jess Fishlock. The resulting set-piece saw Corinne Yorston and Jemma Rose stood over the ball, the latter eventually taking a dig at goal that thudded off the top of the crossbar, it didn't, however take long for Birmingham to charge to the other end and take the lead.
England international Karen Carney controlled a pass that came over her shoulder and pushed into the box, completely unchallenged by the Academy defenders who committed the cardinal sin of not playing to the whistle, her first effort was stopped by home goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain only for the rebound to fall at the feet of Marie Ballard, the 31 year old side footing into the unguarded net.
From then on the game became scrappy, bad challenges flying in across the pitch, before the Vixens began to force the issue in search of a leveller, captain Yorston, Ann-Marie Heatherson and Anouk Hoogendijk all failing to warm the hands of Hall while Rachel Williams was just as profligate at the other end, heading a Carney cross over the bar.
When Yorston did manage to hit the target she found Hall in inspired form, the late call-up dropping quickly to her left to sustain the Birmingham lead. Hall was soon beaten just after, only for the upright to come to her rescue as Jess Fishlock was unable to wrap her foot around the ball from the tightest of angles.
It was Fishlock who was causing the most trouble to the Birmingham back four despite the fact that she found herself isolated in the lone striker role. As the second half arrived it appeared that Heatherson and Matthews, the West Country side's wingers, were pushing further up the pitch and providing support, changing the formation from 4-5-1 to 4-3-3.
The half time withdrawal of the impressive Blues forward Karen Carney didn't have a noticeable effect on her side as Williams squandered the opportunity to double the lead. The former Doncaster midfielder held off the challenges of two Bristol players and burst into the penalty area, Chamberlain rushing off her line to quickly smother her shot.
Just two minutes later there was more action for Chamberlain, this time a spectacular diving save was required to keep out a banana bending Dunia Susi drive.
Academy, whose passes were growing ever longer, were finding no joy against an aerially solid defence, solid that was until the 70th minute. A half cleared ball fell the way of substitute Molly Clark who took controlled on her chest before volleying in a cross that evaded all the heads in the box, Fishlock eventually prodding the ball over the line from three yards after deflections off numerous bodies.
It was the Vixens who had taken the game by the scruff of the neck and nine minutes later a cross from the left found the head of Ann-Marie Heatherson whose connection was to solid for Hall to react quick enough, the effort beating the 'keeper at her near post and sending the majority of the 963 person crowd into raptures.
Birmingham looked shell-shocked but perhaps the turning point came when Helen Bleazard required treatment in the 82nd minute, the away team finding the time for a huddle in the centre circle and with that they fell back into their stride starting with a fabulous equaliser.
Jo Potter's corner wasn't met with strongest of clearances and when the ball dropped the way of full back Chelsea Weston there was to be no doubt about the result, the England youth international thundering a barnstorming volley straight into the top corner.
The Blues were back and little over sixty seconds later the league leaders restored their advantage as Williams was played in with a high through ball. Chamberlain dashed out to reduce the angle but her on-rushing opponent delicately lift the ball over her head to complete a stunning comeback that was infused with passion and self-belief.
That wasn't to be the end of the extraordinary passage of football, though, as a flurry of chances went the way of the home side, Hoogendijk heading wide and Grace McCatty seeing a shot nodded off the line. Not even the partisan crowd could will the referee into handing their side a penalty after a defensive body was struck from close range as the match finished in defeat for Bristol Academy, the second 3-2 reverse at the Stoke Gifford Stadium in six days while Birmingham regained their seven point lead over Arsenal.
