Manchester City avenged Sunday’s league derby defeat at the Etihad by knocking Manchester United out of the Subway Women’s League Cup.
Lax defending with just over ten minutes played left Laura Coombs with a simple near post finish to send City ahead, and though Millie Turner equalised in the 34th minute teenager Lily Murphy restored the Cityzens’ lead on the stroke of halftime.
Though Elisabeth Terland offered some threat after coming on in the second half, United couldn’t strike back and City hung onto their narrow lead to progress to the semi-finals, where they will face either Brighton or Arsenal.
As it happened
United lacked the aggression of Sunday’s victory and were made to regret it early. City took the lead in the 11th minute, after teenager Lily Murphy crossed along the ground from the left and no United defenders were alert to Laura Coombs’ run at the near post. It was a simple finish for the City veteran – Hinata Miyazawa, Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner were all unaware of her until she was in the six-yard box with the ball at her feet.
Embed from Getty ImagesCoombs missed a golden opportunity to double City’s lead in the 19th minute, after Mary Fowler dispossessed an overly casual Turner midway into the United half. The goalscorer received the ball and took one touch to bypass Le Tissier, but scooped her shot over the bar.
Turner redeemed her lax defending fifteen minutes later by pulling United level. After City failed multiple times to clear their lines from United’s first corner of the game, Melvine Malard eventually hooked it to the back post where the Red Devils centre-back finished past Khiara Keating on the half-volley. United looked briefly to be finding their feet in the game, but were dealt a gut punch before the break. In the only minute of stoppage time, Fowler twisted past several United players to switch the ball to 18-year-old Murphy, who cut inside past Mannion and struck into the far corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnited had the better chances as the second half began, but kicked into a higher gear with half an hour remaining as Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland replaced Malard and Rachel Williams. They made their presence felt almost immediately, with an excellent cross from Bizet forcing Kheating into a high claim and Terland winning a corner in her first involvement. However, no equaliser came – with twenty minutes to go, and City understandably taking their time over any goalkicks or throws, United’s players cut frustrated figures.
They had little in the way of clear-cut chances for the remainder of the game, the pick being Terland’s attempt in the 81st minute to latch onto a Bizet ball over the top – the Norwegian striker caught Keating on her way in, who had to come off for Ayaka Yamashita. United took the opportunity to replace Grace Clinton with Sunday’s hattrick hero Ella Toone – but it turned out to be too little, too late.
Embed from Getty ImagesCity hung onto their lead for the duration and progress to the semi-finals where they will face the winners of Brighton v Arsenal.
Featured image credit: Rob Atherton
MUN: Tullis-Joyce; Sandberg, Le Tissier, Turner, Mannion; Awujo, Miyazawa, Clinton; Galton, Williams, Malard
MCI: Keating; Ouahabi, Knaak, Aleixandri, Casparij; Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Coombs; Murphy, Fowler, Fujino