A battling point gained at Liverpool in the WSL

A battling and determined display saw us pick up a point on the road in the Barclays Women's Super League on Sunday as we played out a 2-2 draw at Liverpool.

Having fallen behind at St Helens Stadium with just 12 minutes on the clock as Sophie Roman Haug slotted home from close range, we responded well and, on the half-hour mark, we had turned the game on its head.

We were back on level terms with 25 minutes on the clock as our hosts made a mess of dealing with Jess Naz's teasing dinked cross with goalkeeper Rachael Laws sending the ball over her own line before Clare Hunt instinctively stuck a leg out at the back post to nudge the ball home and put us ahead five minutes later.

Haug though was on hand to return the game to a level state as she powerfully headed in from a corner six minutes after the break. Late on, we were forced to sit in and soak up significant pressure from the Reds but, despite their late ascendancy, we could and probably should have won the game in the final minute but Martha Thomas could not direct her header on target from point-blank range.

Robert Vilahamn made three changes to the starting XI that faced Aston Villa as Hunt and Matilda Vinberg came in to replace Drew Spence and Eveliina Summanen, who were both serving one-match suspension, while Bethany England replaced Thomas in attack. Academy graduate Erin Radbourne was named amongst the substitute - the first time she has been named in a WSL matchday squad.

Making her first start in the WSL since our home clash against Manchester City in March, England nearly made an instant impact inside the opening 10 minutes as she forced Laws into a strong save to her left but, just shortly after, it was the hosts who opened the scoring on Merseyside. Marie Hobinger’s corner wasn’t cleared at the front post and Haug was there to slot home from close range. The momentum was in the hosts favour as Jenna Clark picked out Haug inside the box once again, but her curling left-footed effort went over the bar.

Our reverse fixture against the Reds saw us get back on level terms at Brisbane Road through an own goal and we needed it once again in this encounter as, on the 25th-minute, Naz cross was initially headed onto the crossbar by Grace Fisk before the ball rebounded off Laws and just crossed the line. Six minutes later, and we were ahead in the contest. Maite Oroz’s corner found Hunt at the back-post and the defender stuck a leg out before guiding her first time effort into the bottom corner for her second goal for the Club and in the WSL - her previous strike coming in our home clash with Liverpool.

We did have to withstand a strong push from the home side for the remainder of the first half, Clark and Haug firing over from distance before Lize Kop produced fantastic save to her left to deny Ceri Holland from inside the box. However, six minutes after the restart, Liverpool managed to find a leveller and Haug was on target once again, rising highest at the back post to head home Hobinger’s cross.

Chances were few and far between after Haug’s equaliser, Naz lifting an effort over the bar from a tight angle while, at the other end, Holland failed to connect with Olivia Smith’s low ball into the box as we entered the hour mark. Gemma Bonner sent a header wide from Hobinger’s free-kick in final opportunities of normal time but, after 10 minutes of stoppage time was indicated, the hosts upped their tempo. Mia Enderby and Holland both had chances blocked after a scramble inside the box before Kop produced a point-blank save on her goal-line to deny Jenna Clark at the back post from Hobinger’s corner.

However, despite Liverpool in the ascendancy in the closing stages, we came the closest to grabbing a later winner when a cross from Morris on the right found substitute Thomas in the six-yard box, but our number 17 could only guide her header wide of the far post, forcing us to settle for a point on the road.

Match data

Goals: Liverpool – Haug 12, 51; Spurs – Laws OG 25, Hunt 31.

Yellow cards: Liverpool – Hinds 77; Spurs – Rybrink 88.

Referee: Phoebe Cross.

Venue: St Helens Stadium.

Weather: Sunny, 18 degrees.