Liverpool: Enderby 94’, 95’
Spurs: NA
Pre-Match
After a resounding win over London Bees in the FA Cup last weekend, the Liverpool FC Women return to WSL play still in search of their first win of the season and a path out of the league basement. The
Reds will take on a Spurs side who have been flying high this season, starting the weekend fourth in the table.
With Beata Olsson still not returned from injury, Aurélie Csillag is handed her Liverpool debut as the central striker after signing earlier in the week. Denise O’Sullivan is also handed her debut in the WSL for the Reds in a central midfield role.
First Half
After a spell of Spurs possession to start the match, Liverpool get a quick chance in the second minute after Aurélie Csillag chases a ball down over the top and battles to gain control of the bouncing ball. There is a sliver of space for a shot that is quickly closed off, and Csillag pushes the ball to Alice Bergstrom on her right as she is falling over. Bergstrom hits the ball first time with her left foot and it comes off the crossbar.
Ceri Holland with some good work down the left flank and gets it to the end line. She cuts it back for Csillag, but the ball is blocked out for a corner. The set piece is sent in deep past the far post and the ball is headed back to the middle of the box and partially cleared before the Reds regain possession on the left flank. Lily Woodham lofts a cross into the box and Aurélie Csillag gets her head to it, but Lize Kop leaps and catches the ball before it can cross the goal line.
Aurélie Csillag is creating all sorts of problems through the middle. She gets the ball and carries it towards the box, showing off some nifty footwork before laying it forward for the run of Ceri Holland to her left. Holland tries a quick shot, but it balloons over the bar.
Liverpool are moving the ball well through midfield and up the pitch, and are doing well to then maintain possession higher up the pitch. Fuka Nagano gets possession of the ball at the top of the box after the Reds get the ball up the pitch and tries a shot from distance, but it lacks any real power and is easily collected by Lize Kop in net. Nice to see Liverpool being aggressive in the attack at least. Four shots in the opening 15 minutes is a welcome change.
Fuka Nagano wins the ball while pressing and the ball comes to Cornelia Kapocs. The Swede weaves her way into the box with the ball with options to shoot or pass, and elects to lay it off to Aurélie Csillag on her right. Csillag waits for the ball to roll to her and gets a low shot away, but Lize Kop has time to get her feet set and get down to make a diving save on the low shot.
The class of Denise O’Sullivan is quite apparent. She is everywhere through the midfield, winning the ball, showing for the ball, linking of play and driving the ball forward herself at times.
Liverpool have done very well defensively to drop in numbers when Spurs get possession and find the opportunity to step in and challenge for the ball. There always seems to be another player around to step in if the first challenge fails or be present for an outlet pass of the ball is won back. It has been quite comfortable in the back through the opening 35 minutes despite Spurs starting to see more possession in the Liverpool half as the first half wears on. So far, not shots have been allowed by the Reds.
Spurs get their first shot of the match in the 40th minute. It’s a pot shot from distance that is dragged well wide of goal. It does come, however, as Spurs are starting to find more space as the move the ball through midfield in transition. After being on the attack early and often, Liverpool have struggled to generate much later in the first half and are seeing the ball come back at them more and more often.
Spurs are being very physical on and off the ball. Fuka Nagano is poleaxed off the ball and it is missed by the referee despite a clear foul. A minute later Fuka is again cleared out, this time on the ball, and a foul is given. Referee needs to get control of things.
Liverpool with a chance late in the first half as Alice Bergstron crosses a ball into the box from the right. Aurélie Csillag battles for it in the middle of the box. The ball falls to Ceri Holland, who is also under pressure, and ends up being toe poked in the direction of goal. It’s easily blocked and didn’t have enough on it to really cause any problems.
That’ll do it for the first half. It was a strong opening for Liverpool, who created some solid chances early in the half but were not able to capitalize. Spurs worked their way back into the match, but so far has not found a way to threaten the Reds, managing just one shot from distance. The big question is if Liverpool can ramp the intensity back up in the second half and find a way through.
Second Half
No changes for either side to start the second half. Gareth Taylor still doesn’t have much attacking depth to bring on, but at least he has only one keeper and one Academy player on the bench, with the rest being senior outfield players. Progress?
Ceri Holland steams forward down the left flank and gets to the end line, cutting it back under pressure for Aurélie Csillag. The Swiss attacker manages to get on the end of the bouncing ball but is pressured at her back and has no angle, with her touch putting the ball past the post and out for a goal kick.
Another early attacking sequence sees Cornelia Kapocs on the ball in the middle of the box. She has options around her as well as the potential to shoot, but she can’t get her feet sorted and the ball is cleared away for a Liverpool throw in.
Aurélie Csillag drives into the box down the right channel. She carries the ball into the box and has a defender on her hit, creating enough space to take a shot from a tight angle. The ball is blocked out for a corner.
The corner comes in and Liverpool almost are able to get on the end of the ball at the back post, but it is cleared away and Spurs are right into the counter. Signe Gaupset is set free in the right channel and she carries the ball into the box, facing Jennifer Falk 1v1. Falk does well to come out of her net and stay big, making a sliding save to deny the chance.
Aurélie Csillag does fantastically to drop back and make a sliding challenge to get control of the ball in the Spurs half. She pops up and races forward before sliding it to Cornelia Kapocs in the box on her right. Kapocs is faced with a couple defenders and immediately drops the ball off for Alice Bergstrom behind her, and the Swede tries another left footed shot. This time her curler goes a foot over the bar.
Another good chance for Liverpool goes wanting. Denise O’Sullivan releases Ceri Holland down the left wing, with the Welsh attacker again driving towards the end line. She cuts the ball back into the box for the run of Cornelia Kapocs from midfield. Kapocs is pressured just enough and rushes her shot, sending it wide of goal from 12 yards out.
Gareth Taylor makes his first sub of the match, making a like for like change at left back. Alejandra Bernabé replaces Lily Woodham.
Just a moment later it’s O’Sullivan finding Holland again down the left wing, with another cutback coming inside to Kapocs. This time the Swede’s shot is deflected out for a corner kick. The Reds earn a second corner after recycling possession.
CLEARED OFF THE LINE. The ball in is headed goalwards by Grace Fisk, and it ends up at the feet of Cornelia Kapocs just in front of goal but facing away from net. She tries to turn and slide the ball into the net while being pulled back, and the ball is cleared off the line.
Denise O’Sullivan is shown a yellow card for…winning the ball cleanly at the top of the box? It wasn’t a foul, much less a yellow card but the referee was influenced by the Spurs player rolling around on the ground after she clanged into O’Sullivan and fell over.
Aurélie Csillag’s impressive debut comes to an end as she is replaced by Mia Enderby. Let’s see if Mia can replicate any of the attacking intent of Csillag.
Ceri Holland breaks quickly down the left flank with Mia Enderby in support. Drew Spence comes across to stop the break, getting called for a foul and a yellow card.
Just a moment later, Spence again is called for a foul as she steps on the calf of Denise O’Sullivan. The referee comes over to have a word, but spares the Spurs defender a second yellow.
The resulting free kick is lofted into the box by Ceri Holland. Lize Kop comes out of her net and clears out one of her own players to claim the ball. It almost bobbles loose, but Kop is just able to keep control of it.
As we approach the end of regulation, Alice Bergstrom looks to find a way through for the Reds from the right wing. She cuts inside and carries it across the top of the box, looking for an opening to take a shot. She has to carry it fairly far before chancing it, seeing her shot blocked out. A moment later she has the ball again on the right wing, this time electing to take her defender to the end line, beating her and carrying it towards the net. She cuts it back, but the ball is cleared away.
Ceri Holland has the ball on the left wing and lofts a ball towards the back post. Alice Bergstrom races in and hits it first time, but it’s an extremely tight angle and her shot comes off the post and back off of her legs from close range.
Ceri Holland is trying to do it all at the end of the match here. She again gets it on the left flank, this time cutting inside and carrying the ball between two defenders outside the top of the box. She is clipped and taken down, earning a free kick.
Holland is over the set piece and lines it up. She drives the ball over the wall and it’s sneaking inside the far post, but Lize Kop flies over to make a fantastic diving save to deny Holland.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!!! It’s from the unlikely source of Mia Enderby, scoring just her second WSL goal! It’s all from the work of Jenna Clark, who charged down the ball in the box and hits it towards the goal. Enderby is in the right spot and just bundles it home despite pressure from two defenders.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! IT’S ENDERBY AGAIN!!!!!! This time the attacker is set clean through from the kick off as she nips the ball off the toes of a defender as she presses forward. She carries the ball into the box and coolly slots it past Lize Kop for an insurance goal.
THAT’S IT, LIVERPOOL HAVE WON THEIR FIRST LEAGUE MATCH OF THE SEASON!!!!!
Final Thoughts
What a finish for Liverpool! After conceding late goals in so many matches to drop points, it’s the Reds this time who manage to break through at the death to take the points. It’s a deserved win for Liverpool too, taking 17 shots and creating 4 big chances while limiting Spurs to just 5 shots all match.
And of all the people, it’s Mia Enderby who plays the hero. The young attacker has struggled to have an impact for much of her career, but she made it count today in the 94th and 95th minutes.
Despite the win, Gareth Taylor’s side does not make up any ground on West Ham after the Hammers themselves got a win over Leicester City. The three points does tighten everything up at the bottom of the table, however, as the Reds are only a point behind both West Ham and Everton, and just two points behind Leicester City. The Reds will head to Manchester United next Sunday in a bid to keep the momentum going.
