Women defeated at City

We fell to a 5-2 defeat to Manchester City in the Barclays Women's Super League on Saturday afternoon.

Five first-half strikes from the hosts gave us a mountain to climb at the break despite Olivia Holdt having levelled the game at 1-1 with 15 minutes played.

Khadija Shaw had opened the scoring on eight minutes before going on to record a hat-trick by 21 minutes. Kerolin then added a fourth for the hosts on 37 minutes with Amanda Nilden unfortunately diverting Vivianne Miedema's header in for a fifth on the stroke of half-time.

We greatly improved in the second half and managed to reduce the arrears late on through Bethany England but the mountain proved too hard a climb as we fell to a second successive defeat.

City had failed to score in two of their last three games in the WSL prior to the contest, but it only took them eight minutes in to break the deadlock in Manchester. Alex Greenwood’s corner was partially cleared by Julie Blakstad at the back post which was picked up by Shaw inside the box who fired home on the half volley despite Kop getting a strong hand on to it. However, seven minutes later, we were back on level terms. Drew Spence’s inch-perfect ball over the top from deep in our half set Holdt through on goal and the midfielder showed composure to slot it past Khiara Keating.

But that was short lived as, at the other end, the hosts quickly reinstated their lead. Greenwood’s delivery from a corner once again saw Shaw rise highest to head home from close range. Two minutes later, the City forward completed her hat-trick within 20 minutes. Kerolin on the edge of the box, far right, clipped a curling ball into the box and Shaw was there to power a header past Kop.

In truth, we looked threatening on the counter-attack but we were unable to convert in and around the hosts’ box, with Signe Gaupset sending a low drive just narrowly wide of the target. While our opponents were at their very best, and were inches away from adding fourth on 33 minutes when Sam Coffey’s low curler clipped the outside of the post.

Their persistence eventually paid off, though, when Lauren Hemp’s cut back from the byline of the far left of the box was guided first time into the bottom corner by Kerolin to net their fourth of the afternoon. Then, on the stroke of half time, Vivianne Miedema connected with Kerstin Casparij’s cross from the right, with her header deflecting off Amanda Nilden and into the back of the net, seeing us head into the break 5-1 down.

We started the second half brightly and could have pulled one back in the opening quarter of the restart when England, with space on the far left of the box, was denied by a superb save with her feet by Keating to direct it wide of the far post. Despite the scoreline, we kept plugging away and carved out another huge opportunity on 69 minutes as the ball fell kindly to Gaupset inside the right of the box, following Molly Bartrip’s deep free-kick, but our number eight lacked calmness and sent her half volley well over the bar.

With five minutes left of remaining time, we rightly got what we deserved for our second half display as Signe Gaupset won possession back in our half, sending the ball on to Cathinka Tandberg who found Matilda Vinberg inside the box, she then produced a clever flick to find England inside the box and our captain slotted it away to conclude a positive second half performance from us, despite ultimately being condemned to our seventh defeat of the campaign.

Match data

Goals: City – Shaw 8,18, 20, Kerolin 37, A. Nilden OG 45; Spurs – Holdt 15, England 85.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Wijk 56.

Referee: Abigail Byrne.

Venue: Joie Stadium.

Weather: Sunny, 16 degrees.

Attendance: TBC.