Foxes finish 2020 top of Women’s Championship after away victory
LEICESTER City will finish 2020 top of the FA Women’s Championship after a 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium, writes James Main of Sportsbeat.
Former Rovers striker Natasha Flint put the visitors in front early on, before they doubled their lead six minutes later through a Kayleigh McDonald own goal.
After the break, Georgia Walters got a goal back for the hosts before Flint restored Leicester’s two-goal lead.
Walters got her second to set up a grandstand finish, but Rovers couldn’t manage to secure a point.
Both teams were unbeaten in their last six matches heading into the weekend, with the visitors needing at least a point to stay at the top of the division after Durham’s earlier win over Liverpool.
Leicester got the opening goal in the 18th minute when Flint put the ball away from close range, after a precise ball from Paige Bailey-Gayle on the right.
The Foxes doubled their lead six minutes later when Bailey-Gayle put another threatening ball into the box which forced McDonald to put the ball into her own net.
Rovers substitute Ali Johnson made an immediate impact after coming off the bench at half-time when she put an excellent ball into the box to Elise Hughes, but her volley went just wide.
The hosts got a goal back ten minutes after the break when Leicester goalkeeper Kirstie Levell’s poor touch meant she lost the ball, leaving Walters to slot the ball in the bottom-left corner from a tight angle.
But the Foxes restored their two-goal lead five minutes later when Flint cut inside on the right and slotted the ball under Alexandra Brooks at the other end.
Walters got her second of the game for the hosts with an outstanding long-range effort going over Levell’s head and into the goal, but the equaliser remained elusive.
Leicester City manager Jonathan Morgan: “I think we did really well, it was tricky conditions.
“Credit to Blackburn for getting the game on cause they worked hard to make sure the pitch was okay during the weather that we’ve had recently.
“I think it did tell a little bit on the pitch with how soft it eventually got, but I think apart from obviously spells of the game when Blackburn put us under pressure, I think we controlled it quite well.
“I think another day those goals wouldn’t have happened due to the fact that they were directly from our areas, but well done to Blackburn for finishing them off both superbly.
“I think the girls did fantastically to grind out that result and to go top for Christmas, so happy days.”
Blackburn Rovers (3-4-1-2): Alexandra Brooks, Kayleigh McDonald, Jade Richards, Ellie Stewart, Ellie Fletcher, Emma Doyle, Natasha Fenton, Chelsey Jukes, Elise Hughes, Saffron Jordan, Georgia Walters.
Substitutes: Ali Johnson for Fletcher 45’, Maria Edwards for Stewart 67’, Aimee Hodgson for Jordan 67’. Substitutes not used: Charlotte Newsham, Isobel Dean, Meg Boydell.
Goals: Walters 54’, 74’
Leicester City (4-3-3): Kirstie Levell, Libby Smith, Samantha Tierney, Ashleigh Plumptre, Esmee de Graaf, Sophie Barker, Remi Allen, Charlie Devlin, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Natasha Flint, Lachante Paul.
Substitutes: Lia Cataldo for Smith 61’, Olivia Fergusson for Lachante Paul 61’, Hannah Cain for Bailey-Gayle 90+4 Substitutes not used: Grace Riglar, Sophie Howard, Freya Thomas, Aimee Everett, Annabel Blanchard, Millie Farrow.
Goals: Flint 18’,59’ McDonald (og) 24’
Bookings: Devlin 90+2’
Referee: Declan Brown
To follow the action and sign up for The FA Player’s live Barclays FA Women’s Super League coverage, visit womens competitions. thefa. com