Substitute Leanne Kiernan scored a hat-trick as Liverpool sealed a fourth-placed finish in the Women’s Super League with a 4-0 win at Leicester.

Sophie Haug headed Liverpool into an early lead and Kiernan glanced in the second with her first touch after stepping off the bench.

The striker then struck again with a neat finish seven minutes from time before wrapping up the points and her treble deep into stoppage time.

Liverpool dominated the early exchanges and it was no surprise when Haug headed them in front in the seventh minute.

Taylor Hinds was afforded too much time down the left and her measured centre was headed back across goal and into the far corner by Haug.

Liverpool’s appeals for a penalty 10 minutes before half-time were waved away after Emma Koivisto went down under Julie Thibaud’s challenge.

Leicester began to get a foothold in the game, winning their fair share of possession, but failed to trouble Liverpool goalkeeper Rachael Laws in the first half.

The visitors threatened to double their lead before the interval when Marie-Therese Hobinger’s goal-bound shot was blocked by Leicester defender CJ Bott.

Kiernan replaced Mia Enderby in the 65th minute and scored with her first touch, delicately heading home Ceri Holland’s left-wing cross.

Republic of Ireland striker Kiernan pounced again in the 83rd minute, racing on to Gemma Bonner’s long ball over the top and finishing in style, before completing her hat-trick in the fourth minute of stoppage time from a lengthy run to finish in the bottom corner.

It was a fourth straight win for Matt Beard’s Liverpool sees them finish fourth, nine points behind third-placed Arsenal.

The Foxes ended the season in 10th place as their winless run was extended to eight matches.