Veaktriki Sarri scores brace as Birmingham beat 10-player Nottingham Forest to go second in Women's Super League 2 after Jessie Stapleton is sent off
By Tom Masters
Published 10/11/2025 at 22:37 GMT
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Veatriki Sarri scored a goal either side of half-time as Birmingham eased to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest to go second in the WSL2 table. Sarri scored a wonderful long-range effort shortly before half time, before scoring a penalty, after Jessie Stapleton was sent off for the hosts for blocking Batcheba Louis’ effort off the line her arm. Louis then scored a third goal in stoppage time.
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Veatriki Sarri’s brace saw Birmingham defeat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground and rise to second in the WSL2 table.
The Greek international scored a wonderful long-range effort shortly before half time and a penalty late on as Birmingham closed the gap with league leaders Charlton to four points.
Jessie Stapleton was sent off for the hosts after blocking substitute Batcheba Louis’ effort off the line with her arm after 80 minutes, with Sarri converting the subsequent spot kick.
From then on, it was all Birmingham and Louis in particular was incredible dangerous, routinely testing the struggling Forest defence, who without Stapleton leaked chance after chance.
In the 90th minute, she finally sealed the deal for Birmingham, getting onto the end of a brilliant Lee Geum-Min pass to slot it past Emily Batty in the Forest goal.
It was Forest who started the better of the two sides, with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah having the first genuine sight on goal after seven minutes but missing from distance.
Nahikari Garcia will feel she should have scored a few minutes later when getting onto the end of Charlie Wellings’ pass, but striking the ball too close to Birmingham keeper Lucy Thomas, who made a routine save.
Boye-Hlorkah then had a long range effort that was saved well by Thomas after 30 minutes, with Forest still the side that looked more likely to score.
Stapleton was booked for a poor tackle on Sarri five minutes later, which proved to be the turning point in the match.
Sarri picked the ball up from a long way outside the box and drove towards goal, before letting a shot off that bounced into the bottom right corner to give Birmingham the lead.
Forest players were unhappy, as Freya Thomas had fallen down injured in the build-up but the referee deemed it not to be a foul and the goal was given.
Boye-Hlorkah had another good effort saved by Lucy Thomas in the bottom left corner in what was the sole moment of the half for Forest fans to get excited about, as the away side began to turn the screw.
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Another turning point occurred when Louis replaced Lucy Quinn after 68 minutes and wreaked absolute havoc from almost the first time she touched the ball.
It looked like she was in behind the Forest defence after 79 minutes but was brought down by Mollie Green when on the turn, which saw Green booked and Forest on a tightrope with both of their centre backs on yellow cards.
Mere moments later and Louis was in behind again, this time able to get onto the ball and round the goalkeeper.
Stapleton was able to get back onto the line but she blocked the effort with her arm and the Forest were dealt the double whammy of a penalty and a red card.
Sarri calmly scored from the spot and the game seemed sealed at that point.
Louis had a great chance which was saved by Batty and it looked like the substitute was going to miss out on her goal, but was finally rewarded late on, when scoring from a very tight angle to put the game beyond doubt.
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