Sunday 28th May
FA WSL 1 SPRING SERIES
Chelsea 7-0 Liverpool (Att: 1,654)
Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal (Att: 1,808)
Reading 1-1 Birmingham City (Att: 536)
Yeovil Town 1-2 Sunderland (Att: 331)
Chelsea Thrash Leaders Liverpool
Chelsea put seven goals past the previously unbeaten Liverpool, whom they now trail by only one point and with a game in hand.
They were ahead in the 3rd minute as Gilly Flaherty beat Grace Coombs to a Karen Carney corner to glance home.
Two more goals came in the last 3 minutes of the half, Fran Kirby controlled a Karen Carney ball well, turned and fired in, with Gemma Davison then crossing for Ji So-yun to bundle in the third.
Any hope of a fightback by the Reds was ended soon after the restart, as Ji cut the ball back for Maren Mjelde to plant firmly into the bottom corner.
Carney got through a slide tackle to advance in on goal and smash the ball into the roof of the net, then substitute Erin Cuthbert was found in the area by Crystal Dunn and she beat Siobhan Chamberlain on her near post for the sixth.
Drew Spence also came off the bench to score, forcing home a Carney delivery to the back post.
Coombs nearly got a consolation with a powerful half-volley but Carly Telford reacted quickly to turn it over, before Millie Bright headed onto the bar at the other end.
Pictured top – Fran Kirby shoots past Siobhan Chamberlain (The FA via Getty Images)
Gunners End Man City’s Unbeaten Run
Arsenal moved to within a point of Manchester City, thanks to a long-ranger Jordan Nobbs free-kick at the Academy Stadium.
Jordan Nobbs tackles Nikita Parris (The FA via Getty Images)
Megan Campbell came to Man City’s rescue with a goal-line block, when Danielle Van De Donk rounded keeper Marie Hourihan.
A good one-two between Izzy Christiansen and Toni Duggan saw the latter shoot over the bar, while the Gunners’ Beth Mead got through one on one but missed the target.
Into the second period and Nobbs saw her shot deflected inches wide but with 15 minutes to go, she found the net with a fine free-kick from all of 35 yards.
The hosts almost hit back immediately though, as Duggan’s point-blank shot was kept out by Sari Van Veenendaal.
Penalty Earns Point For Ten-Player Reading
Despite a very early goal, Birmingham City had to settle for a draw away to Reading, who levelled from the spot.
Rebecca Jane skips past the tackle of Kerys Harrop (The FA via Getty Images)
Birmingham City took just 19 seconds to go ahead againsr Reading, Charlie Wellings getting the goal.
City should have had a second on 37 minutes but Rachel Williams headed wide from 10 yards off a Paige Williams free kick.
The Royals’ Jo Potter was sent off in first-half added time for reacting to Aoife Mannion’s challenge.
Two minutes after the interval, a Rachel Furness header brought an impressive save by Ann Katrin Berger and although the ball was soon in the net at the other end, City’s Rachel Williams was deemed offside.
Minutes after Rachel Williams blazed over from 12 yards out, Abbey-Leigh Stringer brought down Kirsty Linnett in the box and Lauren Bruton levelled from the spot.
With 10 minutes to go, Mannion’s 30-yard strike was tipped onto the bar by Mary Earps, who catched the rebound, then Rachel Williams again shot over with only the keeper to beat.
Paige Williams’ lobbed effort hit the top of the home bar in the 88th minute, afterwhich Linnett forced a save from Berger and Andrine Hegerberg’s 18-yard shot was stopped by Earps but the match ended all square.
Leon Lays To Waste Yeovil Leveller
Sunderland went fifth in the table with a 2-1 win at Yeovil Town, as substitute Beverley Leon made an immediate impact following a Glovers’ equaliser.
Nicola Cousins challenges Hayley Sharp (The FA via Getty Images)
Sunderland were ahead after only 2 minutes away to Yeovil Town, as Lucy Staniforth’s corner flew straight in.
Abby Holmes had a good chance to make it 2-0 but having skipped inside a defender, she blazed her effort high over the bar.
Early in the second half, Victoria Williams hooked the ball off the line from a dangerous Lucy Quinn cross to preserve the Black Cats’ lead.
Quinn then caused greater problems in winning a 75th-minute penalty and although her effort was saved by Hilde Gunn Olsen, substitute Angharad James netted the rebound.
However, Leon came off the bench and swiftly restored the visitors’ lead, as they went on to take all three points.
