Women's Super League
Bristol City WomenBristol City Women2Liverpool WomenLiverpool Women1

Bristol City Women 2-1 Liverpool Women

Bristol City Women celebrate Ella Rutherford's goal against Liverpool Women
Bristol City Women won at home in the WSL for the first time since January

Two first-half goals were enough for Bristol City to beat Liverpool and inflict a third consecutive defeat on the Reds in the Women's Super League.

Lucy Graham's powerful header opened the scoring and Ella Rutherford pounced on a loose ball to double City's lead.

Liverpool pulled one back when Courtney Sweetman-Kirk turned in Laura Coombs' cross before the break.

Vixens defender Poppy Pattinson cleared off her own line and Sophie Baggaley saved well from Sweetman-Kirk late on.

After Graham was left unmarked at the back post from a left-wing corner on 16 minutes to put the hosts ahead, Rutherford made it 2-0 five minutes later from six yards out.

The 18-year-old striker was quickest to react after Liverpool goalkeeper Anke Preuss was unable to hold on to Julie Biesman's shot from long range, notching her first goal for the club.

Liverpool came close to getting an equaliser in the second half when Leandra Little deflected the ball goalwards after Baggaley had failed to gather a corner, but Pattinson managed to clear the danger.

Little flicked a header wide and Coombs tested Baggaley from 25 yards before the Bristol City keeper blocked Sweetman-Kirk's effort from close range.

The Vixens hung on to register their first win in three league games and leapfrog Liverpool in the table, moving up to sixth, two points ahead of the Reds.

Bristol City defender Poppy Pattinson:

"We ground out the result and I think the victory shows how together we are as a team.

"Lucy Graham gets her head on the end of everything and her goal showed the hard work we have been doing in training pays off.

"Ella Rutherford is my best friend here, so I'm really pleased for her that she got her first goal for us today.

"Our keeper Sophie Baggaley has got us out of trouble quite a few times this season and she was there again today when we needed her."

Liverpool centre-back Leandra Little:

"We are really disappointed and feel we let ourselves down in the first half.

"We knew that if we came here and worked harder than they did for the full 90 minutes then we could get a result, but that wasn't the case before the break.

"It was disappointing to concede the opening goal from a set-piece because we have been solid against them in our other games and it was uncharacteristic of us.

"We just feel deflated at the moment because we know we can perform better than that."

Line-ups

Bristol City Women

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Baggaley
  • 2Dykes
  • 5BrownSubstituted forKerkdijkat 50'minutes
  • 3Evans
  • 7Pattinson
  • 8Humphrey
  • 20Biesmans
  • 17Ayane
  • 14Graham
  • 10Rutherford
  • 9KemppiSubstituted forPayneat 66'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Johnson
  • 6Kerkdijk
  • 16Payne
  • 18Wilson
  • 22Watson
  • 23Robinson
  • 27Woolley

Liverpool Women

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Preuss
  • 44Murray
  • 6Bradley-Auckland
  • 12Little
  • 4Roberts
  • 5FaheyBooked at 69minsSubstituted forDanielsat 77'minutes
  • 9Sweetman-Kirk
  • 10MurraySubstituted forRodgersat 66'minutes
  • 8Coombs
  • 20BabajideBooked at 60mins
  • 24LinnettSubstituted forClarkeat 53'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Clarke
  • 11Daniels
  • 18Kitching
  • 19Rodgers
  • 29Thomas
Referee:
Richard Gardner
Attendance:
554

Match Stats

Home TeamBristol City WomenAway TeamLiverpool Women
Possession
Home41%
Away59%
Shots
Home9
Away12
Shots on Target
Home4
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away4
Fouls
Home16
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Bristol City Women FC 2, Liverpool Women 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Bristol City Women FC 2, Liverpool Women 1.

  3. Post update

    Corner, Bristol City Women FC. Conceded by Sophie Bradley.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Yana Daniels (Liverpool Women).

  5. Post update

    Julie Biesmans (Bristol City Women FC) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Yana Daniels (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  7. Post update

    Attempt saved. Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (Liverpool Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rinsola Babajide with a cross.

  8. Post update

    Offside, Liverpool Women. Anke Preuss tries a through ball, but Courtney Sweetman-Kirk is caught offside.

  9. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  10. Post update

    Delay in match Gemma Evans (Bristol City Women FC) because of an injury.

  11. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Jessica Clarke (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.

  12. Post update

    Attempt saved. Laura Coombs (Liverpool Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jessica Clarke.

  13. Post update

    Yana Daniels (Liverpool Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Julie Biesmans (Bristol City Women FC).

  15. Post update

    Foul by Rhiannon Roberts (Liverpool Women).

  16. Post update

    Lucy Graham (Bristol City Women FC) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Liverpool Women. Yana Daniels replaces Niamh Fahey.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Jessica Clarke (Liverpool Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a set piece situation.

  19. Post update

    Jessica Clarke (Liverpool Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Carla Humphrey (Bristol City Women FC).

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Arsenal Women77003443021
2Man City Women85302662018
3B'ham City Women741276113
4Chelsea Women834155013
5Reading Women732298111
6Bristol City Women8323712-511
7Liverpool Women8305513-89
8West Ham Women7214816-87
9Brighton Women7115515-104
10Yeovil United7106519-143
11Everton Women6024411-72
View full Women's Super League table

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