Liverpool Women 0 LCFC Women 1: Leicester are back!
Leicester City Women are well and truly fighting to stay in the WSL after a brilliant 1-0 win over Liverpool at Prenton Park.
As with their male counterparts, new signings have revitalised the side and maybe just in time.
And again, as with the men on Saturday, this was a team full of belief that relegation can be avoided. There was a bit of scepticism over Willie Kirk’s mid-season appointment but he can take huge credit for the way Leicester have been transformed into a horrible team to play against.
The new signings and the return of Hannah Cain have helped - nevertheless, Kirk’s bold approach out of possession is refreshing and it paid off here. Liverpool were never given the chance to settle.
Mace in the pack
Georgia Eaton-Collins put in a decent shift on her debut at home to Manchester City last weekend and could perhaps have felt unfortunate to lose her place after just one game.
That was until her replacement, the 19-year-old Manchester City loanee Ruby Mace, began her own Leicester debut in such authoritative fashion. This performance was a step up for a Leicester midfielder this season.
Mace demanded the ball, protected it well in tight areas and distributed it calmly. Perhaps it’s the Manchester City link but there were echoes of Keira Walsh’s displays last summer for the Lionesses.
It seems that Mace could have a similar effect to that of Freya Gregory last season, a youngster arriving on loan to freshen up the team and lift those around her.
Of course, she’s not the only mid-season arrival. Courtney Nevin has slotted in well at left-back and Janina Leitzig was grateful for a quieter afternoon than she endured last weekend. The other fresh face in the side in recent weeks is actually a familiar, returning one - a player who has lost so much of her career to injury in the past few months that she’s determined to make up that time.
Cain able
Leicester have struggled at the top end of the pitch for so much of this WSL season. It was actually a shock when Natasha Flint registered the first goal scored by a Leicester player at Reading. Flint has since moved on loan to Celtic with Willie Kirk putting his faith in Hannah Cain to provide the firepower to lift Leicester out of trouble.
At Prenton Park, Cain fired low into the net from Courtney Nevin’s cut-back corner after just 7 minutes to give Leicester what already felt a deserved lead. It was a ferocious start from the visitors, who pressed relentlessly throughout the game.
Cain’s workrate was matched by the two wingers either side of her, Carrie Jones and Missy Goodwin both helping to press the Liverpool back line while captain Aileen Whelan backed them up from midfield. In truth, there were no poor performers in a magnificent team effort that deserved all three points.
First half heroics
Leicester nearly saw the advantage gained by Cain’s early goal doubled after quarter of an hour when CJ Bott’s deflected shot was tipped onto the bar by Liverpool keeper Rachael Laws. Bott’s strong running from right-back caused the home side problems in the first half and she is gradually becoming one of the WSL’s unsung stars.
Liverpool’s only threat prior to the break came from Megan Campbell’s long throws. Thankfully, in Ashleigh Plumptre and Sophie Howard, Leicester have a couple of imposing centre-backs who can deal with aerial pressure all day. Both were imperious, while Mace offered good protection from open play just in front of them.
In first half stoppage time, Howard denied Liverpool’s star player Missy Bo Kearns with a vital interception to ensure Leicester retained the lead.
Seeing it out
This wasn’t as nervy as things usually are. It helps that there’s a commanding presence in goal these days. Leitzig was understandably kept less busy by Liverpool than Manchester City but she still claimed cross after cross and came up with the goods halfway through the second half.
It was chaos in the six-yard box, first Leitzig pulling off a fantastic stop from close range before Liverpool substitute Natasha Dowie saw her header come back off the bar. The offside flag eventually went up and Kirk’s side survived.
The hosts made substitutions which helped create some pressure and centre-back Gemma Bonner poked the best chance over the bar.
Mace showed the necessarily ugly side of the game when fighting to claim an away win, a shirt tug ensuring Liverpool’s most dangerous break of the game was swiftly halted. The resulting free kick was gathered in expertly by Leitzig and despite a series of set pieces in the dying minutes, the home side only forced one more scare.
Leicester have suffered horrendous late concessions regularly for the past 18 months so there was a sense of inevitability about the Kearns shot that flashed towards goal in the 93rd minute. It came back off the post. Leitzig had one final high ball to collect before the final whistle eventually sounded.
Leicester are right back in the mix, aided by Tottenham’s continuing collapse in form and Brighton’s 6-2 thrashing at home by Aston Villa. Reading are the main team in Kirk and co’s sights though. Leicester remain bottom but are now just a point behind the Royals with a game in hand.
Game on.
