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Liverpool Ladies 1-0 Birmingham Ladies

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Image for Liverpool Ladies 1-0 Birmingham Ladies

The first game of the Women’s Super League season was against last years high fliers, Liverpool Ladies. The game was played at the Liverpool sides ground and 507 people watched the game. Birmingham Ladies were hoping to get off to winning ways after a transition period last year saw a young squad just escape relegation. However, poor finishing cost the girls any points.

According to the official site, these were the line-ups:
Liverpool (4-3-3): Siobhan Chamberlain; Martha Harris, Gemma Bonner, Mandy van den Berg, Alex Greenwood; Sophie Ingle, Kate Longhurst, Katie Zelem; Shanice van de Sanden, Emma Lundh, Natasha Harding

Substitutes: Caroline Weir for Lundh 75, Laura Coombs for Zelem 80, Rosie White for Harding 90

Substitutes not used: Danielle Gibbons, Maz Pacheco, Ashley Hodson, Mollie Green

Bookings: none

Red Cards: Mandy van den Berg 69

Birmingham City (5-3-2): Sophie Baggaley; Alex Windell, Aoife Mannion, Kerys Harrop, Meaghan Sargeant Jessica Carter; Chloe Peplow, Jo Potter, Melissa Lawley; Freda Ayisi, Kirsty Linnett.

Substitutes: Emily Westwood for Windell 63, Charlie Wellings for Mannion 75, Coral Haines for Peplow 83

Substitutes not used: Sian Johnson, Abbyleigh Stringer, Connie Schofield, Cheryl Edwards

The game started at a very high tempo and Birmingham Ladies should have gone in front. 5 minutes into the match and we had a penalty. Lawley, who is an outstanding young winner renewed her contract in the off season, and she was the one who won the spot kick. However, her team mate Linnett struck the penalty with no real power and Chamberlain, the Liverpool ‘keeper, easily clawed the ball out.

Blues’ continued to push but they were just not getting the rub of the green. A couple of minutes after the penalty save, they were punished. A very tame through ball seemed to split open a very disorganised defence. Harrop was in no man’s land as the ball fell to the advancing striker, van de Sanden who despite Mannion’s best efforts, slid the ball into the net. 1-0 to the home side against the run of play.

The Ladies’ heads didn’t go down and it was Birmingham who mustered the next chance. Chamberlain, who had stopped Linnett’s spot kick was also integral in stopping her again. Thus time she ran onto a through ball only to be thwarted.
The remainder of the first half was a little bit scrappy and both teams were looking tired as they got a 15 minute break at half time.

As expected, the class of Liverpool Ladies shone through in the second half. Natasha Harding, who signed from Manchester City Ladies in the off season, was proving a handful. She somehow managed to bypass the defence and found herself against a young goalkeeper, Baggaley. With just the ‘keeper to beat, Harding managed to make a hash of the shot and we were able to clear.

With 20 minutes to go, Blues’ were given a lifeline. Van den Berg was sent off for a very cynical foul on the lively Lawley. A second spot kick of the day and a second miss. This time Potter took the kick but she didn’t even hit the target.
1-0 the final score on a very disappointing day for the Blues’ who really should have come away with all 3 points.


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