Red card mars Stanway’s century after double strike

Georgia Stanway scored twice in five minutes before being sent off for picking up two yellow cards on her 100th appearance for Manchester City.

Stanway, like Ellen White and Lauren Hemp, scored her first league goal of the season to add to the biggest scoreline in the Women’s Super League this season as City demolished West Ham. But a collision with Adriana Leon after 70 minutes brought her second booking.

“It’s just one of those you’ve got to take. The referee is always going to be watching me because I like to tackle strong and I’m ruthless in how I play,” said a smiling Stanway, 20, who will likely be back playing again by Sunday after the midweek Continental Cup tie against Everton.

City manager Nick Cushing loses Stanway just as key midfielder Keira Walsh returns from a threematch ban. “It’s really frustrating because now we lose another player, an influential player for us, and it means that we have to try and find a solution,” he said.

Cushing said he was pleased that his side produced such a clinical performance, bouncing back from three successive losses.

“It’s important that we put a good score on because we have to make sure that the City fans that have come today have been so entertained that they want to come back,” he added.

Mid-table side West Ham’s biggest WSL loss was a 7-1 defeat against City in this fixture last year and history came close to repeating itself. Their preparations were hindered because their kit man was knocked over in a non-fatal traffic accident on the way to Manchester.

West Ham captain Gilly Flaherty

Mixed fortunes: Georgia Stanway scored twice in her 100th City match, but was sent off said they must turn things around before their Continental Cup game against Lewes on Wednesday.

“I didn’t sign for this club to be a mid-table team or fighting a relegation battle,” she said. “Even when we were one player up it looked like they had the overload. We need to have a long hard look at ourselves.”

White, who scored the Lionesses’ only goal against Germany at Wembley recently, gave the home side an early lead, pouncing on the rebound from Jill Scott’s shot.

After 32 minutes White slipped Stanway a short pass, which she fired into the bottom left-hand corner. Five minutes later, Janine Beckie selflessly clipped the ball back to Stanway, who sent it into the bottom corner again with her first touch. Hemp, who recently won her first England cap, put City 4-0 up before the break.

In the second half, Tessa Wullaert was left with space and time to place her strike into the far corner. Manchester City off West Ham

Referee