Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Reds secure back-to-back wins

Liverpool made it two wins from two at the start of the new Women’s Super League season as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Prenton Park.

Having stunned title hopefuls Arsenal on the opening weekend of the campaign, Matt Beard’s side delivered again as goals from home debutants Marie Hobinger and Natasha Flint gave them another hard-fought, but ultimately deserved, three points.

For Villa it is a second straight defeat after their loss to Manchester United last weekend, with Carla Ward again left frustrated by her team’s inability to convert possession and a series of good chances into goals.

In front of a crowd of just under 3,000, including a healthy contingent who had travelled up from the Midlands, it was Liverpool who started brightly, with Missy Bo Kearns and Emma Koivisto going close early on.

They took the lead on 20 minutes, with Ceri Holland getting the better of Sarah Mayling down the right and sending over a cross which was cleared only as far as Hobinger, who took a touch before firing a superb left-foot shot into the top corner from 14 yards.

Yana Daniels was denied a second by a sprawling save from Daphne Van Domselaar soon after, but it was the visitors who finished the first half the stronger.

Jordan Nobbs thought she had levelled after good work from Adriana Leon down the right but her effort was brilliantly headed off the line by Koivisto.

Liverpool goalkeeper Rachael Laws then saved well from both Anna Patten and Alisha Lehmann as the visitors began to dominate before the break.

Liverpool had not lost any of their previous eight WSL games when leading at half-time, a run which stretches back to 2018, but Laws was fortunate not to cost her side a goal immediately after the restart when presenting the ball straight to Villa substitute Ebony Salmon.

Fortunately for the goalkeeper, Gemma Bonner was there to tidy up.

Villa made changes in a bid to force an equaliser, sending on Laura Blindkilde, Mayumi Pacheco and Simone Magill.

But, as the second half wore on, Ward’s side struggled to break down a determined and well-organised Reds defence, who were marshalled superbly by the experienced Bonner and which contained the player of the match in Jenna Clark.

It was two Liverpool substitutes who combined for the all-important second goal on 79 minutes.

Melissa Lawley, making her first appearance since April after undergoing hip surgery, showed skill and strength to wriggle away down the left and cross for Flint, who turned neatly in the penalty area to fire low past Van Domselaar and put the seal on things for Beard’s side.