Manchester United kept the pressure on leaders Chelsea with a seventh straight Barclays Women’s Super League win, surviving a second-half fightback from Leicester City.
United deserved their 2-0 lead at halftime, courtesy of Melvine Malard and Leah Galton, after a dominant first half. Leicester boss Amandine Miquel’s substitutes came close to turning the game around in the second half, but some wasteful finishing – particularly Sam Tierney’s skied close-range effort on 70 minutes – saw them leave empty-handed.
As it happened
Leicester hardly had a kick in the opening stages and struggled under United’s high press. Following missed chances for Ella Toone, Dominique Janssen, and Malard, the hosts’ opener came from a counterattack. After halting a rare Leicester advance in the 19th minute, Maya Le Tissier had ample time to pick out Ella Toone in the middle of the park. Toone played in Malard, who raced away from Julie Thibaud through the Leicester half, sent Janina Leitzig diving early with a smart dummy, and slotted home.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe hosts were furious not to have a penalty in the 22nd minute when Aoife Mannion’s cross struck Sam Tierney’s arm. Though it was away from her body, referee Phoebe Cross was uninterested in United’s appeals for handball.
The sucker punch for the Foxes came in stoppage time when Missy Goodwin miscontrolled a ball from Leitzig, ceding possession in Leicester’s half. It was again too easy for United to play through the visitors’ lines; goalscorer Malard quickly found herself with the ball on the edge of the box. She teed up Leah Galton, rushing in from the left, who doubled United’s lead.
Miquel’s changes breathed some life into Leicester in the second half, but some strong claims from United keeper Phallon-Tullis Joyce and wayward finishing from the Foxes left United’s clean sheet intact. Subs Hannah Cain and Yuka Momiki (on for Janice Cayman and Hlín Eiríksdóttir) combined for Leicester’s first shot on target after 63 minutes, which Tullis-Joyce saved. United were let off when Sam Tierney, who had ghosted in unnoticed at the back post, missed the pick of the chances on 70 minutes. The midfielder caught the defence off guard but sent her effort high from inside the six-yard box.
Embed from Getty ImagesLeicester’s subs, particularly Momiki and Nelly Las (on for Goodwin in the 76th minute), saw them have the best of the second half, with seven shots to United’s two. However, they failed to capitalise and the game finished 2-0 to the hosts.
United are five points behind leaders Chelsea, who drew with Brighton later on Sunday, while Leicester sit 10th.
The lineups
MUN: Tullis-Joyce; George, Turner, Le Tissier, Mannion; Janssen, Clinton, Toone; Galton, Malard, Bizet
LEI: Leitzig; Ale, Thibaud, Howard, Bott; Mace, Cayman, Tierney; Goodwin, Eiríksdóttir, Chossenotte.
