Liverpool Ladies moved in to third in the WSL 1, with an important win over Manchester City.
African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala scored her second goal of the campaign to give Liverpool the lead before Nikita Parris pulled one back for City just after the break, to set up a dramatic second half.
With just under 15 minutes to go, the reigning champions proved their worth and Line Smorsgard nodded the ball home to ensure all three points stayed in Merseyside.
There has been no love lost between these two North West heavyweights in recent times and the Reds attack would have been geared up for the fixture more than usual as Lucy Bronze started in defence for City against her former club where she won back-to-back WSL titles.
The City players were further boosted by the return of captain Steph Houghton from injury, who stated on the bench for Nick Cushing’s side along with keeper Karen Bardsley, who was back in the squad following a 3-match ban.
It was the hosts that went ahead though, inside the first 15 minutes, when City keeper Alex Brooks failed to deal with a Fara Williams corner, and Oshoala was there to bundle the ball over the line.
City struggled to create any clear-cut chances after falling behind, with the best of them coming to Toni Duggan who fired wide from the edge of the penalty box on the half hour mark before blazing her first-time shot over the bar on the stroke of half time.
Manager Cushing clearly had some inspirational words for the visitors during the break and just ten minutes after the restart City found themselves on level terms when Everton loanee Nikita Parris got on the end of Isobel Christiansen’s free kick, heading home from five yards out.
But the lead was short lived as the Reds got back in front when Oshoala delivered the perfect ball for Smorsgard who headed in her first goal of the season.
Matters could have been made worse for City shortly after when, after some good link-up play between Oshoala and Williams, the latter fashioned a shooting opportunity but fired straight at Brooks.
Williams then had another go at the young shot-stopper but City’s second-choice goalkeeper did well to gather at the second attempt.
Shortly after, Smorsgard almost netted her second of the evening but volleyed Martha Harris’ delivery just wide. Before in the closing stages Parris almost grabbed an equaliser when her similar effort flew narrowly past the wrong side of the post.
City are now sixth in the league with only one win in four games, and face leaders Chelsea twice in two weeks – first in the FA Women’s Cup semi-final on Monday and then the following weekend in the WSL.
