WSL Matchday 19 round-up: Skinner relieved as United get out of jail

Mitchell Fretton

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Millie Turner scored an injury-time winner for WSL leaders Manchester United at Aston Villa

Marc Skinner admitted Manchester United got out of jail when grabbing a late winner at Aston Villa to stay top of the Women's Super League.

The Red Devils kept their title charge on track thanks to Millie Turner's 93rd-minute strike which settled a pulsating five-goal thriller on Friday night.

Skinner's side were seconds away from seeing their domestic aspirations crushed at the hands of the prolific Rachel Daly, who netted her 16th and 17th goals of the season to put Villa in front.

But 26-year-old Turner nodded home from a free-kick to complete a dramatic 3-2 turnaround and keep them three points clear of rivals Manchester City at the WSL's summit.

United's boss appeared relieved at full-time and did not hesitate to express how fortunate his side were to prevail at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.

He said: "We didn’t just get out, we broke out of jail. We do not give up. When your chips are down you have to find different ways to score and we have the ability to do that.

"In the first half, we were not good enough and we said that, we told each other that at half time. We aren't tight enough and Rachel Daly is absolutely deadly in the box.

"If we win our last four games that will be a wonderful, wonderful season for us but we’re taking it one game at a time.

Super City

Manchester City are keeping the pressure on their arch-rivals and their boss Gareth Taylor believes that goal difference could still be a deciding factor come the end of the season.

City eased past Reading on Sunday with four different goalscorers stepping up in the 4-1 win at the Academy Stadium.

Taylor's troops currently have a 13-goal swing to make up if they are to trump the red half of Manchester, but they are well on their way to cutting that gap having bagged 10 goals in their last two WSL matches.

Taylor said: "In our last two games, we've scored 10 and given away three. The stats are showing that we're creating and scoring. We want to score more. Everybody does.

"I know this team can go to another level. That is really exciting and I think that is something to look forward to.

"They are really good girls to work with, they take on the advice. I’m their biggest fan but can also be their biggest critic at times and that’s because I know what their capabilities are."

Manchester City are still in the hunt for the Women's Super League title

Foxes find a way

Leicester moved away from the bottom of the WSL table with a convincing 4-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday.

Josie Green grabbed the opener inside 15 minutes before Carrie Jones added a second six minutes later to double the Foxes' advantage.

Ashleigh Plumptre and Missy Goodwin were then both on target in the second half to ease any concerns of a comeback from the Reds, who had no response to a breathtaking display from Willie Kirk's side.

Kirk said: "To show that mental strength, to play with confidence and play the way we're playing, we're playing really good football and creating a lot of chances.

"We've not hid the fact that there's pressure. Every time we've put pressure on the players have delivered and they're continuing to do that.

"It's three points closer to our target. We've still got work to do, two tough games back-to-back."