WATFORD Ladies went second in the top-flight, after holding on at Birmingham for a 3-2 win.

A second-half fight back from Birmingham City was not enough to salvage a point, after a suicidal first half which saw the hosts three goals down after 28 minutes. The prolific Helen Lander scored in the ninth minute, storming past Chelsea Weston and rounding keeper Sue Wood.

Seven minutes later, Lander struck again, as another direct attack culminated in her powerful drive beating Wood, despite getting a hand to it. In the 28th minute, Lander picked out Ashlee Hincks who beat a stranded Wood to make it 3-0. Lisa Burrows then hit a dipping effort just over the bar, after good work from Kat McKenna.

But only the angle of crossbar and post prevented Birmingham crowning a second-half comeback, as stirring as their opening 45 minutes was alarming. Ballard replaced the hard working Amy McCann in the 64th minute and had an instant impact with Blues - by that time on a hiding to nothing - pulling one back through Heather Schueber three minutes later.

The midfielder was prowling unattended in the area to smash home after an inch-perfect flicked ball from Katy Ward. Within 60 seconds Ballard was on the score sheet and Birmingham scented an unlikely draw, a deep cross from the right reaching left-back Michelle Archer at the far post and when her low drive came back off the post Ballard was in the right spot to blast home.

And when Ballard hit a cracking effort on the half-volley 13 minutes from time it looked like the hosts would manage to atone for a shocking opening half only for the ball to cannon off the woodwork with Sally Lacey slicing the rebound wide.

Birmingham: Wood, Archer, Lacey, Samuels, Scheuber, McCann, Hickmott, Weston, Durrant, Harrop, Ward.
Subs: Horwood, Ballard, Butler, Cardin, Wade.
Goals: Scheuber 67, Ballard 69.

Watford: Hourihan, Burrows, McGroarty, Kemp, Thomas, Maggs, Hincks, Lander, McKenna, Wade, Hall.
Subs: Davey, O'Toole, Cable, Leighton, Beckett.
Goals: Lander 9, 14, Hincks 27.

Watford's next match is away to Liverpool LFC on Sunday 9th September 2:00pm