The FA Women’s Continental League Cup group stage began with a surprise result as Sheffield United won 3-2 at Liverpool.
Conti Cup scores – 22 Sept
Group A
Coventry United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers [Coventry won shoot-out 3-2] (Att: 245)
Durham 3-0 Aston Villa (Att: 359)
Liverpool 2-3 Sheffield United (Att: 687)
Group B
Bristol City 3-0 London Bees
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
London City Lionesses 0-5 Arsenal (Att: 577)
Group C
Birmingham City 1-0 Everton (Att: 511)
Manchester City 5-0 Leicester City (Att: 1,403)
Group D
Chelsea 2-0 West Ham United (Att: 3,041)
Lewes 2-3 Crystal Palace
Tottenham Hotspur 0-4 Reading (Att: 533)
Blades fightback to beat Reds
Sheffield United struck twice late on to pull off a 3-2 victory at Liverpool with a stoppage-time goal. Ashley Hodson followed up a Melissa Lawley effort to score but after the break Katie Wilkinson’s header was judged to have crossed the line to level the scores. Jemma Purfield crossed for Niamh Charles7 to head the hosts back in front but then Maddy Cusack scored from distance via the bar, Jade Bailey received a second yellow card and Jade Pennock hit home in stoppage-time.
REACTION | 🗣 @cwardy7: “Couldn’t be prouder of this group. We were always a threat, always believed we could & every player was outstanding. Today is what I would call a true Sheffield United performance. Heart, desire & commitment. What a weekend for the club.”#SUFCW 🔴 pic.twitter.com/oyNk91RRc4
— Sheffield United Women (@sufc_women) September 22, 2019
Sharpe at the double for Durham
Durham took the points against Aston Villa with all the game’s three goal, two of which were scored by Molly Sharpe. Nicki Gears provided the assist for Sharpe to prod home before Bell volleyed against the Villa bar. Beth Hepple played in Sharpe for the second, with Hepple again delivering from Abby Holmes to head in on 65 minutes. Jade Richards was denied a reply as her header came back off the crossbar.
Coventry take two points on penalties
Moments after Rovers’ Natasha Fenton was denied by the bar, Saffron Jordan won a penalty which Ellie Stewart converted for an interval lead. Shan O’Brien hit the post before lining up Amber Hughes to earn Coventry a point. With the scores level, a shoot-out decided the extra point and Coventry won it in sudden-death with Jade Formaston’s finish.
Goal and assist for City’s Salmon
Carla Humphrey had the Vixens ahead against London Bees when getting on the end of an Olivia Chance pass. Midway through the half and Ebony Salmon raced into the box before slotting under Megan Lynch. The Bees hit the post late on, after which Abi Harrison got City’s third goal from a cross by Salmon
Green spot on
Ini Umotong forced Charlton keeper Shanell Salgado into a tip over the top before heading Brighton in front 2 minutes before the break from a Kate Natkiel corner. Kayleigh Green put away two second-half penalties to give Albion a 3-0 victory, one won by herself, the other given for a foul on Amanda Nilden.
Mead hits hat-trick
Beth Mead opened the scoring on 28 minutes and shortly after Jill Roord fired in the Gunners’ second. Emma Mitchell got the third after the interval and Mead quickly added Arsenal’s fourth from distance before rounding off her treble.
Birmingham take revenge
Birmingham City avenged the league loss to Everton with a single-goal success against them. The only goal came 17 minutes from time for City, Lucy Staniforth’s corner headed in by Rachel Williams. Abbi Grant clipped the bar as Birmingham went close to a second.
Two more for Bremer
Championship side Leicester restricted Manchester City to a 1-0 lead at half-time, Caroline Weir with the 28th-minute breakthrough from Laura Coombs’ through ball. In-form Pauline Bremer made the points safe with two goals in the space of eight minutes, Weir then also completed her brace and Tessa Wullaert made it 5-0.
Second-half goals secure Chelsea victory
It was a goalless first-half at Kingsmeadow with West Ham’s Alisha Lehmann closest to scoring, her powerful shot turned over by Carly Telford. Chelsea immediately responded but Beth England was just wide when meeting Ramona Bachmann’s ball into the box. It was England who found the net through on 50 minutes, meeting Magda Ericsson’s delivery. Guru Reiten got the Blues’ second goal when her corner went in with the aid of a deflection.
Eagles edge Rooks
Magda Mosengo put Palace in front and althugh Emma Jones found Zoe Ness to level for Lewes, Cherelle Khassal soon restored the visitors advantage. Amy Taylor equalised with 20 minutes remaining, only for Réa Laudat to quickly strike the Eagles’ third from outside the area. The Rooks chances of hitting back were damaged when both Annie Timoney and Caitlin Hayes were carried off with injuries, as they finished with just nine.
Chaplen brace set up Reading win
Jade Moore played in Brooke Chaplen to slot the ball past Rebecca Spencer to give the Royals the lead just after the half-hour mark. Gemma Davison found the side-netting for Spurs but they were 2-0 down 2 minutes after the restart, Chaplen latching onto a back pass to net her second of the game. The game was made safe for Reading when an Ashleigh Neville own-goal was quickly followed by an effort from Millie Farrow.
