MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 1, CHELSEA LADIES 0
- Man City Women players wear We Love Manchester T-shirts before the game.
- Toni Duggan scores the winner in the first half.
- City hold on for victory despite heavy second half Chelsea Ladies pressure.
Manchester City defied a committed Chelsea resurgence from behind a setting sun in the second half to beat their visitors 1-0 with a first half goal by Toni Duggan after 28 minutes.
On chances City did enough to edge the game after Steph Houghton hit the bar from a free kick and Megan Campbell’s goal from a throw-in was disallowed as nobody else had touched it.
But City did have Karen Bardsley to thank for saves that kept them in the lead during a difficult second half before they dug in and held out for a win against their tough opponents.
Victory allowed City to leapfrog the visitors into second place in the 2017 Spring Series on 13 points – just a point behind Liverpool Ladies but with a game in hand.
More importantly, the win in adversity will go some way to helping the city heal in a difficult week.
City had to go into this game without Carly Lloyd – suspended for three matches after being sent off for violent conduct in City’s win at Yeovil last Sunday.
Some nervous Chelsea defending early on saw a double strike by Nikita Parris parried by Carly Telford while Jill Scott saw a shot blocked.
City fans were in fine voice in the first period during a balmy Manchester evening, cheering on their players and breaking out into spontaneous applause in the 22nd minute in tribute to the dead from Monday night’s Manchester Arena bombing.
We Love Manchester is the theme as City fans cheer their team to victory
The attendance on the night was 1069 but there was atmosphere remained as strong as ever.
The applause must have inspired City who were flagging a bit in the 27 degree heat as Duggan eluded her marker, went past two more defenders before turning and lashing an effort from outside the box past Carly Telford in the 28th minute.
Steph Houghton’s 20 yard free kick came back off the crossbar with Telford well beaten nine minutes later.
Chelsea will have been disappointed with their first half efforts, Maren Mjelde’s early free kick didn’t test Karen Bardsley while Drew Spence was put through by Crystal Dunn but screwed a decent chance to equalise wide during a very bright first half for City.
Nikita Parris was proving a thorn in Chelsea’s side, with further chances blocked as City peppered the Chelsea goal with shots.
Bethany England volleyed a Chelsea free kick over after the break as the visitors continued their search for an equaliser. Ramona Bachmann teed up England for another blocked shot before Spence saw a dangerous cross cleared by Campbell as City lived dangerously for ten minutes in the second half.
Spence’s shot from an acute angle on the right was tipped away by Bardsley after 57 minutes to underline just how well Chelsea had dragged themselves back into the game as City struggled to cope with the low sun in their eyes.
Maren Mjedle’s corner was shanked wide by Millie Bright before City finally roused themselves in the 62nd minute with a trademark driving run from Lucy Bronze from her own half.
Bronze released Nikita Parris but the City winger’s shot was tipped away by Telford.
City had the ball in the net from one of Megan Campbell’s long throws but after checking with the assistant referee on the sidelines the referee gave a goal kick as nobody had touched it before it beat Telford in the 70th minute.
Chelsea continued to worry City and Bardsley was down quickly to save Chelsea chances by Spence and Bright.
Kosvare Asllani cut the ball back to Parris but her tame shot was blocked in one of the few City chances in the second half.
It was a time for grit for City, though, as they held on to edge the game with all hands back to defend their lead – cheered on by the fans, many of whom who stayed on after full time to continue the cheerleading as City warmed down.