Hampton howler gifts Stanway winner for Manchester City
Manchester City pulled level on points with Arsenal at the top of the WSL, albeit having played a game more, as a calamitous error from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton gifted the home side a win over Birmingham.
The Birmingham manager, Marc Skinner, blamed a poor start for his side’s loss but maintained that the Blues can challenge: “The first 10 minutes were woeful, not good enough. If you’re going to play the way we player you’ve got to be sharper and quicker to the ball and in the first 10 minutes we weren’t that and that’s what has killed us in the game.
“I thought we gave a more than good account for ourselves throughout the game, and we were in it. To come to Man City and be in the game shows how far Birmingham City have travelled.”
With Birmingham still waiting on the return of England striker Ellen White and forward Rachel Williams they lacked the creativity and squad depth of their opposition: “On the field I know we can get close to them, off the field is another matter.
“If you want to play transition football against City, they can bring three or four internationals off the bench, I can bring on a 10-year-old, that’s the difference.”
Manchester City began with confidence. Just two minutes in, pressing high, Nikita Parris robbed Meaghan Sargeant before teeing up last weekend’s two-goal hero Georgia Stanway but enough yellow shirts got back to quell the threat. The early warning was not enough though and more lazy defending with Man City continuing to harass up high led to the home side taking the lead on 14 minutes. A slow backpass put goalkeeper Hampton under pressure, with Parris closing Hampton rolled the ball weakly towards Aoife Mannion but Stanway read the move, intercepted, and raced past Hampton to fire into the empty net from a tight angle.
The visitors were unfazed, and pressed for the leveller. A flurry of set pieces provided their best chances. A long corner was chested down by Lucy Quinn before she turned and fired past Ellie Roebuck but over the bar. Another corner minutes later was lashed across the face of goal but this time Quinn was too slow and it dipped wide.
With 60 minutes on the clock, Hampton looked to redeem herself. Parris freed Weir down the right but her cross was hooked over by Harriet Scott. From the resulting corner Hampton saved excellently from Abbie McManus’s close-range volley.
The Manchester City manager, Nick Cushing, said there was still room for improvement. “Half of the performance was good because we were good with the ball,” said Cushing. “We used the ball well, we created some clear chances that we didn’t take but the other side of the game we gave up a little too much space and that allowed Birmingham to pass the ball and play the game that they wanted to play.”
The manager praised the depth of his squad going into the Christmas break as “really important. To win the league you have to have a competitive squad that is enthusiastic and motivated to do their part and we’ve got that at the moment,” he said. Suzanne Wrack
So that’s your lot from the Academy Stadium. Georgia Stanway was the star, scoring the tenth goal of her season to settle this second-versus-third clash. Manchester City have moved joint top of the WSL as a result, level with Arsenal on 27 points, having played one game more. We’ve got a title race!
Nick Cushing speaks! “I think we gave Birmingham too much space. But I thought we defended well. If we’d got the second goal, we would have settled the game down. We have to look at our performance and look at why we put Ellie Roebuck under so much pressure that she had to make several saves. Georgia Stanway’s work ethic and mentality are her greatest attributes. She’s a great footballer too, but she’s prepared to work hard. She’s playing really well, and we want to make sure she continues to improve because she’s got so much potential. Going top, we’ve given ourselves a chance.”
Steph Houghton talks! “We knew Birmingham would be a tough test. But as soon as Georgia got the goal, we knew we would be difficult to break down.”
Georgia Stanway adds: “We had to be aggressive, that’s where the goal came from. The World Cup is in my mind, but I want to focus on playing well for Manchester City and win trophies.”
And that’s it! Nick Cushing’s team go level on points with Arsenal at the top of the WSL! They’ve both got 27 points, though Manchester City have played a game more. Georgia Stanway was today’s hero, capitalising on Anna Hampton’s fresh-air kick to score her tenth goal of the season.
90 min +4: A game of head tennis on the edge of the Manchester City box. The ball eventually drops to Wellings, who sends a weak shot straight down the throat of Roebuck. City go up the other end, Beckie nearly breaking clear down the left, but she’s denied by a fine sliding tackle from Harriet Scott.
90 min +1: Mannion and Parris get involved in a shoving match, the latter having tried to stop the former from taking a quick free kick in the middle of the park. Stanway is then booked for the tackle on Mannion that led to the free kick.
86 min: A free kick from the right, sent high into the Birmingham box. Hampton fumbles the ball, and Manchester City force a corner. The keeper sighs with relief as the set piece is overhit, utterly wasted.
85 min: Ladd twists and turns down the inside-left channel, then has a look from 25 yards. It flies a similar distance wide right. Birmingham haven’t been afraid to shoot from distance.
83 min: Quinn drifts from right to left and pearls a wonderful shot towards the top left. Roebuck is forced to tip round the bar at full stretch. That’s great football all round. The resulting corner leads to nought.
81 min: Staniforth looks for the top-left corner. It’s a stunning effort, just an inch too high, and the ball hits the crossbar flush! Nobody can ram home the loose ball, and Manchester City eventually clear. That would have been a sensational goal.
79 min: Beckie, who scored four times in the League Cup in midweek, comes on for Wullaert. Then Staniforth clatters a shot goalwards from distance; the ball’s deflected for a corner on the right.
78 min: In fact Sargeant has come off worst. She’s taken a smack in the mouth, and has a cut lip. Houghton simply rubs her knee a bit then gets up. Both are fine to continue after a fashion.
76 min: Parris clumsily barges into the back of Mannion, and that’s another free kick for Birmingham in a dangerous position. Staniforth loops it into the area. Houghton rises highest to head powerfully clear, and takes a whack from Sargeant for her trouble.
75 min: Follis, who has been one of Birmingham’s best players today, goes down grimacing. She’s able to get up and jog off, but injury has forced her exit. She’s replaced by Mayling.
73 min: Some neat triangles down the Manchester City right, and suddenly Stanway is bombing into the area. But just before she can get a shot away, she’s robbed by a brilliant sliding tackle from Sargeant. That had to be timed perfectly.
71 min: A free kick for Birmingham out on the right. Staniforth sails it to the far post, where Sargeant rises to head goalwards. But there’s no meat in the effort, and it flops gently into the embrace of Roebuck. Not entirely sure how this is still only 1-0; there have been some rare old chances for both sides in this second half.
68 min: This is great end-to-end fun now, the complete opposite of the first half. Staniforth nearly plants an right-to-left curler into the top-right corner from 25 yards; it’s inches clear. Then Wullaert crosses low yet again from the right; Hampton does extremely well to claim.
66 min: Stanway creams a shot from Marco van Basten Country, tight on the right. It flashes over the bar. In the middle, Parris spins in annoyance; she was after a cross to head home from close range. It would have been the better option.
65 min: More space for Wullaert down the right. Again the cross is easily cleared. Meanwhile Sargeant engages the referee in a full and frank discussion about Stanway, who has annoyed her with persistent minor fouls. The ref eventually waves her away. But she’s far from happy.
64 min: Quinn, Staniforth and Wellings buzz around the Manchester City box, out to the right. There’s a couple of chances to cross, but there’s nobody in the centre, and when a ball’s eventually played in, it rolls slowly into the arms of Roebuck. Quinn’s been pretty lively since the restart.
59 min: Parris slips Weir into space down the right. She whips low and hard into the area; Harriet Scott slides in to hook over the bar with Stanway lurking. From the resulting corner, McManus sidefoots a volley goalwards from ten yards. Hampton parries magnificently, especially as she’s partially unsighted by Parris, standing right in front of her. That’s a fine save. The rebound is blootered over the bar by Jill Scott.
57 min: The first half wasn’t all that, tell the truth, but this has turned into a fine end-to-end match now. Walsh wins a corner off Arthur, and from the set piece there’s an awful scramble in the six-yard box. Parris should probably force the ball home from close range, but somehow Birmingham swarm her en masse, and eventually Hampton is able to flop onto the ball, danger over.
56 min: Harriet Scott dribbles with purpose towards the Manchester City box. She lays off to Staniforth to her left. Staniforth sends a looping shot towards the bottom left. It’s easily gathered by Roebuck, who was across her line quickly.
54 min: Arthur creams a right-to-left diagonal pass for Harrop, who wins another corner for Birmingham. The ball flashes across the face of goal, and once again Quinn spurs a good chance, failing to react quickly enough, unable to connect and poke the ball home. But this is a lot better from Birmingham, who are carving out chances now.
52 min: Follis works her way down the left and earns a corner. The ball’s sent long. Quinn, at the far post, chests down and backwards, turns, and sends a rising screamer across Roebuck towards the top left. And over the bar. A very decent opportunity to equalise spurned.
49 min: Follis makes good down the left, and is hauled back by Jill Scott, who has a handful of her shirt. It’s a free kick, and really should be a booking, but Scott gets away with her misdemeanour without punishment. If only there was a pithy phrase for that.
And we’re off again! No changes. Birmingham get the party restarted, and quickly whistle the ball back to Hampton, who hesitates, and is nearly stripped of possession by Stanway. But the 18-year-old keeper snaps back into focus just in time, sorts her feet out and clears. Some understandable nerves on display from Hampton, given what happened in the first half. And the sun’s in her eyes now, too.
A fairly even half, the difference being a goalkeeping howler from Anna Hampton, and a tidy, opportunistic finish from the striking sensation Georgia Stanway. As things stand, Manchester City will be joining Arsenal at the top of the WSL table.
45 min: A free kick for Birmingham out on the left. A chance to load the box. With six yellow shirts queuing up at the far post, Staniforth opts for the spectacular instead, and blooters a poor effort miles over the bar.
43 min: Sargeant reprises her earlier sleepy stylings, faffing around on the ball inside her own area, and nearly having her pocket picked by an insistent Parris. She gets away with it, but only just. The ball breaks to Hampton, who tidies up.
