New Manchester City signing Sam Coffey came on for the closing stages against London City Lionesses on Sunday.
The score was 1-1 when she entered the fray as a 76th-minute replacement for Laura Blindkilde Brown, with Freya Godfrey equalising for the hosts after Kerolin’s first-half opener.
But the Women’s Super League leaders kept fighting for all three points until the end – with Bunny Shaw grabbing a late winner.
And Coffey said afterwards that she was pleased to have played her first minutes in a City shirt – despite the stress of the situation.
“It was definitely a bit of a stressful game to come into,” she told the club’s official website. “When Andree [Jeglertz, head coach] called me in I was like, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’
“Obviously I’ve been waiting to make my debut and have spent the last few weeks just trying to get my fitness back and settle coming from an off-season, so I was happy to contribute to the team however I can.
“It was a chaotic one, but the biggest thing is we’re leaving with three points, that’s all that matters to me so I’m just really happy and honoured.”
“Debut and a win is all that matters to me”
And being on the field when Shaw scored the winner gave her a sense of “relief”, she added.
“I think it would’ve left [me] with a bitter taste in my mouth if the debut was on a day where we didn’t get the result, so the fact that both can come together is all that matters to me.”
Sam Coffey: her career so far
Coffey joined City from Portland Thorns earlier in January. The 27-year-old had spent her entire senior career at the American club, helping them to an NWSL championship. She made her senior debut for the USA in 2022, and won Olympic gold with the squad in Paris in 2024.
