Liverpool: NA
Manchester United: Miyazawa 4’, Toone 45+2’
Pre-Match
First Half
Gareth Taylor and the Liverpool FC Women return to WSL play after picking up their first win of the season in a 5-0 win over Sunderland in the FA Women’s League Cup on Wednesday. Liverpool are still searching for their first league points under the new manager, and are also dealing with the sudden loss of former manager Matt Beard. Manchester United sit third in the table with two wins and two draws.
Rafaela Borggräfe is given her first start in the WSL despite an ongoing investigation by the FA over discriminatory language. Kirsty Maclean also gets her first league start as a Red in place of Marie Höbinger in midfield. Lily Woodhman is back fit and returns at left back, and Sophie Roman Haug gets her first league start of the season to lead the line after working her way back from an injury. Gemma Bonner becomes just the third player ever to make 200 appearances in the WSL.
First Half
It’s a very emotional You’ll Never Walk Alone that rings out over St. Helen’s as the players walk out.
It’s all Manchester United in the opening minutes, with Liverpool in a defensive shell. A bouncing ball in the box is mishit by Gemma Evans, gifting Elizabeth Terland the ball in the box. She struggles to control it and Evans is able to get back and deflect a shot from close range out for an early corner.
Goal Manchester United. It’s not even four minutes in and the Reds have conceded. Nice play down the right see’s a cutback from the end line only cleared as far as Hinata Miyazawa just outside the box. The midfielder strikes the ball brilliantly first time on the volley, ripping a shot that goes off the inside the post.
Liverpool realize a match is being played and manage to get on the ball and get it forward. Ceri Holland is starting to get on the ball and drive it forward. Kirsty Maclean attempts a shot from distance, but it skews well wide of the goal.
After the one foray forward Liverpool have struggled to get and keep the ball. Very reactive play from the Reds, and the passing is not crisp when they do get on the ball.
Liverpool have TWO players down off the ball. Sam Kerr and Lily Woodham are both being seen to by the medical staff. Kerr is able to continue, but Woodham will have to go off. Risa Shimizu will be coming on for Woodham in the 18th minute.
Gemma Bonner just gets her head to the ball in the middle of the box on a deep cross. The ball skims just in front of Melvine Malard at the far post and out for a corner. Alarm bells all over the place now.
Hinta Miyazawa almost has a second spectacular goal after a throw in from the corner flag gets deflected into her path at the top of the box. Her side-footed shot comes back off the post this time.
Liverpool lost the ball in the Manchester United half and the visitors immediately stream forward. Elizabeth Terland is slipped through in the box with only Borggräfe to beat, but her shot goes over the crossbar.
Liverpool players are just standing marking a space as Manchester United players just run past them. Another sequence of play that sees the Reds easily bypassed and forced to make a last-ditch touch in the box to put the ball out for a corner.
Rafaela Borggräfe gets down to make a sharp save to keep the deficit just one goal. Elisabeth Terland carried the ball quite some way from left to right along the top of the box and took a shot through the legs of Risa Shimizu that Borggräfe did well to see and get down to her left.
Liverpool with a rare spell of possession in the Manchester United half sees Cornelia Kapocs set free down the left wing. Her cross is blocked out for a corner. The ball is cleared for a throw, but the Reds are able to reclycle possession.
Close from Ceri Holland! Liverpool earn a throw deep on the right and the ball is thrown to the head of Sophie Roman Haug by the end line. The striker directs the ball to Ceri Holland just inside the box and the midfielder makes a player miss before taking a shot. The ball is partially blocked and deflects up into the air, forcing Phallon Tullis-Joyce to leap and touch the ball into the post and out for a corner.
Goal Manchester United. It’s a dagger just before the half, and it comes from some just terrible defending. The Reds again lose the ball near midfield and Elisabeth Terland runs right around Gemma Evans to get to the ball ahead of the Liverpool defender. The Manchester United strides forward as Evans walks behind her, and the ball is squared to Ella Toone for a simple finish from close range. Really poor play from Gemma Evans.
That’s the last action of the half as Liverpool go into the break deservedly down. While the Reds dominated the ball but struggled to finish the first two matches, they have barely had a sniff of the ball today with just 32% of possession in the first half. Liverpool have been on their heels way too much, allowing plenty of space for the visitors to operate.
Second Half
Gareth Taylor makes a change to start the second half in an attempt to wake his team up. Mia Enderby comes on for Sophie Roman Haug.
Liverpool look to jump start a counter out of the back and pass it out of bounds while under no pressure. That about sums up the day.
Ok, I take it back. Liverpool earn a throw in on the right and are then whistled for a foul throw. THAT about sums up the day.
Liverpool finally getting some possession and are beginning to move the ball around with some decent passing. Ceri Holland gets on the end of a long diagonal out to the right, and her cross is partially cleared to Kirsty Maclean. The diminutive midfielder tries a shot from inside the box, but it goes over the goal.
Gareth Taylor goes to his bench again in the 60th minute. It’s a like for like switch on the defensive side of things with Jenna Clark coming on in place of Gemma Evans.
Liverpool have their best chance of the game as Ceri Holland flicks on a goal kick into the path of Cornelia Kapocs. The Swede carries the ball into the box and is about to shoot when Jayde Riviere slides into the back of her legs. Kapocs stumbles as she tries to shoot and the ball goes wide. It’s a clear penalty, but the referee awards a goal kick.
Some more positive play from the Reds in the second half Mia Enderby has been popping up all over the attacking half to get on the ball. She has done well to keep possession and allow others to get forward. Cornelia Kapocs has been played in a few times now that she has had the time to get into an attacking position, and has delivered a few dangerous crosses. Her latest one is cleared just ahead of Grace Fisk.
Another great chance for Liverpool as Mia Enderby times her run well and gets behind the defense on a ball over the top. She carries the ball into the right side of the box and drives a low shot on goal, but it doesn’t have enough on it to beat the goalkeeper. That was officially Liverpool’s first shot on target. It only took 79 minutes.
Another nice sequence sees Cornelia Kapocs put a great ball across the face of goal. It runs all the way to Ceri Holland on the right, who slips the ball in to Fuka Nagano in the box. The Japanese midfielder does well to turn and play it to an onrushing Kirsty Maclean, but the Scottish midfielder is shoved down in the box. Again the referee has no interest in calling a penalty for a clear foul.
Liverpool are pushing for a late consolation goal as time ticks just past the 90 minute mark. Ceri Holland sqares a ball into the box for Mia Enderby, but the shot from the young attacker is blocked.
After three minutes of extra time, the referee blows the whistle to end the match. It’s another loss for Liverpool in the league as they are still in search of their first points of the season.
Final Thoughts
It was a truly abject first half from the Reds as they played with little intensity and composure. There were some signs of life in the second half as Manchester United sat back a little bit more due to their 2-0 league, and the Reds were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty. In the end, however, the result was deserved on the balance of play.
Liverpool are second from bottom, only ahead of West Ham on goal difference. The Reds do have a game against Aston Villa in hand. Liverpool will head to newcomers London City Lionesses next Sunday in yet another early kickoff.