Reds shown up by City’s title hopefuls
YOUNGSTERS STAR IN EASY WIN
ISOBEL CHRISTIANSEN believes Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool at the Academy Stadium on Thursday shows her side have the strength of character to win the WSL 1 title.
Goals from Christiansen and Natasha Harding earned City a 2-0 win against the soon-to-be dethroned champions, moving them two points behind current leaders Chelsea with two games remaining.
It also extended City’s unbeaten run to 13 matches and Christiansen is impressed their form has not wavered with the pressure on, particularly with star forward Toni Duggan sidelined by an ankle injury.
Performance
“The credit goes to the team.We’ve done exactly what we aimed to do at the start of the game and we did exceptionally well,” she said.
“We moved the ball around really well and we scored two goals and I’m delighted we’ve managed to maintain our form despite some bad injuries.
“The coach has spoken to us about the business end of the season and it’s important we get results and we’ve done that again with a great team performance under our belts.”
City’s final two league fixtures are at home against bottom side Bristol Academy and FA Cup runners-up Notts County, while leaders Chelsea face a trip to Liverpool before hosting fourth-placed Sunderland on the final day of the season.
At the top of WSL 2, Doncaster Rovers conceded twice to throw away two points against Everton, but midfielder Kasia Lipka believes the league leaders will still achieve promotion.
The Belles, three points clear of Reading and, crucially, nine points ahead of thirdplaced Yeovil Town, took the lead after goals from Lipka and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, before Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah scored for the visitors.
Sweetman-Kirk made it 3-1 in the 78th minute, but two late goals from Ellie Stewart and Boye-Hlorkah snatched an unlikely point.
Lipka, though, still expects her team to attain promotion.
“We were so disappointed to have lost the win at the end like that,” said Lipka. “We thought we had done enough, but unfortunately we’ve grown complacent and let it slip.
“We’re still top of the league, so we feel there’s nothing really to worry about. We’ve just got to push on, there’s only a few games left, we just have to keep the performances high.”
The draw was Everton’s second in a week after they were held at home by Aston Villa on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the division, Oxford United came from behind to secure a 3-2 away win at Millwall Lionesses.
United took an early lead through Destiney Touissant before Lilli Maple and Rinsola Babadige put the home side ahead.
Consolation
Kat Nutman then levelled before Lauren Allison completed Oxford’s impressive comeback.
Natasha Knapman's winner kept Yeovil’s faint promotion hopes alive as they won 1-0 away at Durham last Sunday.
In the top flight, goals from the impressive Gilly Flaherty and Clare Rafferty helped Chelsea secure a 2-1 home victory against Notts County.
In-form Jess Clarke scored a second-half consolation goal for the visitors.