Charlton were second-best here, and the live WSL coverage made that much clear. Birmingham were the side asking the questions, getting the ball into the box and forcing Charlton into a match of damage limitation rather than one they were controlling themselves.
That does not mean Birmingham were carving Charlton open at will. Far from it. Lee Geum-min's volley did not cause much trouble, which tells you this was still a contest short on clean openings. But the pressure was there, and so was the sense that Charlton were spending more time holding their shape than threatening to flip the game the other way.
Godfrey has been a problem Charlton are having to live with
Laura Bassett summed up the key duel neatly. As she put it, at first it looked as though Godfrey was winning the battle, before Clark kept popping up, refusing to give up and making the block. That is the sort of detail that explains why Birmingham have had the upper hand: not domination, necessarily, but persistence, pace and enough pressure to keep Charlton on edge.
Bassett was even more direct about Godfrey, describing her as “so tenacious, so quick and a real handful.” That is the kind of assessment you make when a player keeps dragging a defence into uncomfortable places. Birmingham have not needed a flood of chances to make Charlton feel second-best; they have just needed enough movement, enough urgency and enough repeated attacks to keep the opposition pinned back.
For Charlton, the concern is obvious. If you are spending this much time keeping Birmingham out, you are already losing the initiative. The performance may still be salvageable, but right now Birmingham look like the side with more authority, more threat and the clearer grip on the contest.
