UNDER-FIRE TAYLOR UP FOR BATTLE 2

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MANCHESTER CITY boss Gareth Taylor is content to take the pressure that goes with his job in his stride.

In the run-up to Saturday’s Super League derby at rivals United, Taylor (above) had been forced to field some awkward questions.

His stuttering team were on the back of a three-match losing streak for the first time, and another title challenge is already looking as though it could be out of reach for the big-spending Blues.

However, there was a ‘massive’ response from the players in a pulsating derby at the Leigh Sports Village, with City going toe-to-toe with Marc Skinner’s Reds despite losing Georgia Stanway to a deserved red card in the first half. Taylor, who took the City reins in May 2020, said: “The pressure is always there in this job.

“But I will always believe in what we do as a team. I think everyone saw that again on Saturday.

“We’ll always create chances, and we can also defend well when it’s all hands to the pump.

“We showed great character to get back into the game and even with 10 players we fully deserved a point, maybe even more. We haven’t had much to show for our efforts in recent weeks, but we’ve never been a million miles away.”

Right-back Stanway’s thigh-high tackle on Leah Galton earned the England international her marching orders in the 35th minute, but Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw headed them in front before the break.

Goals from Lucy Staniforth and Alessia Russo fired United 2-1 in front, only for England ace Ellen White (above) to secure the Blues a point with a late poacher’s finish.

United are still without a Super League win against their big city rivals in four attempts, but Staniforth was ecstatic with her first derby goal.

She said: “For 30 minutes or so nothing really happened, but then from then I don’t think anyone in the stadium took a breath.

“My goal was definitely one to tick off the bucket list – it was an amazing experience in front of our own fans.”