Liverpool Women secured their Women’s Super League safety with a brilliant 2-1 victory at home to second-placed Man City.
Liverpool Women 2-1 Man City Women
WSL (20), Prenton Park
May 7, 2023
Goals: Dowie 16′, Kearns 47′; Hemp 28′
A second half strike from Missy Bo Kearns was enough to give the Reds all three points at Prenton Park and all but end City’s chances of lifting the league title.
Natasha Dowie opened the scoring for Liverpool after 16 minutes with her first goal since rejoining the Reds earlier this year.
The strike was then cancelled out just inside the half-hour mark when Lauren Hemp headed home to put the visitors level.
Kearns’ winner shortly after the break was her fourth of the season, with Katie Stengel the only player to have found the target more times in this campaign on seven.
The result mathematically ensures that Liverpool will remain in the WSL next season and consolidates the side’s position in seventh place.
It also effectively hands the title to Man United, with City’s inferior goal difference meaning that it is now virtually impossible to catch their local rivals.
City pushed hard for an equaliser and Hemp was denied a brace by the crossbar with a shot that looked close to dropping beyond the goalline.
Pinpoint accuracy ?pic.twitter.com/0TBm5SYw5K
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) May 7, 2023
Liverpool managed to withstand the late pressure to pick up all three points and ensure that they will continue to compete at the top table next season.
It was a reversal of the result in the away fixture against City at the end of October, when Liverpool were edged out 2-1 in Manchester.
A trip to Aston Villa is up next for the Reds in two weeks time before Man United come to Prenton Park for the season-closer on May 27.
Liverpool Women: Kirby, Koivisto, Roberts, Matthews, Bonner, Hinds; Nagano, Kearns (Taylor, 77), Holland; Stengel (Lundgaard, 90+1), Dowie (Van de Sanden, 50).
Subs not used: Laws, Cumings, Robe, Fahey, Kiernan, Humphrey
Next match: Aston Villa (A) – WSL – Sunday, May 21, 2pm (BST)
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