On-song Nikita sets her sights on title

MANCHESTER City’s in-form England striker Nikita Parris has Notts County in her shooting sights as she looks to keep the unbeaten Super League leaders on track for the title in today’s big clash at Meadow Lane.

Parris hit a hat-trick in City’s last outing, an 8-0 Continental Cup thrashing of WSL2 outfit Aston Villa, and now she wants to help her team get back to winning ways in the League after being held to consecutive 1-1 draws by Liverpool.

City had a 100 per cent WSL record before those two back-toback games against the Reds and Parris admitted:“We weren’t at our best home or away against Liverpool, so we just had to bounce back when we played Villa. “We did that through our attitude and appetite for goals, and it was great to get my first hattrick for the club. But the most important thing was for the team to get a good victory and I feel that it’s kick-started the second half of our season.”

Victory today would complete the double over Notts, who put up stern resistance at City’s Academy Stadium on the first day of the campaign but were beaten 1-0 through captain Steph Houghton’s free-kick winner in stoppage time.

Parris said:“County went defensive in that game and tried to hit us on the counter, and they were hard to break down. But on their own pitch I think they’ll play out and attack us,so we’ll be looking to find the gaps.

“We’ll be out for three points but we know it will be a tough game. County have strengthened their defensive structure by bringing in Jo Potter and Jade Moore, and they’ve got goals in them with Jess Clarke and Ellen White in attack.

“But we want to go there and not only win but also to perform well and then go on performing, game after game, to keep us on the top of the table – that’s the challenge for us, to stay up there for the rest of the season.”

Challenge

Parris has been taking on and succeeding in her own as well as her team’s challenges since switching to Manchester from WSL2 side Everton, initially on loan last season but then having the move made permanent this year. She has established herself in the City starting line-up and also broken into the England squad, scoring twice in her first two games last month. These are major steps in a career that has blossomed for the 22-year-old in the last two years. “I wanted to move on from the stage of being promising and having potential,” said Parris. “Man City have provided the platform for me to perform week-in, week-out at the top level and I definitely feel I’ve become a better player.

“I’m more consistent in goalscoring and assists, and my all-round game has improved. That helped me to get attention from the England staff and it was such a proud moment for me and my family when I made my debut against Serbia.

“Winning that game meant we qualified for the European Championship finals next year and it’s my aim to be in the squad for the finals – but to achieve that aim I know I’ve got to keep performing well for my club.” Parris is determined to not just keep performing well for City but to help them clinch the WSL title for the first time – and as they currently have a one point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand, they are certainly favourites. “We’re in a good place right now,” said the striker, “and I’m feeling very confident.We know it’s going to be hard, but if we carry on what we’re doing I think that we’ll be the team with the gold medal at the end of the season.”