MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 1, MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN 0
Caroline Weir scored an excellent first goal in the WSL Manchester derby to hand bragging rights to Manchester City against unlucky Manchester United who were denied by great goalkeeping by Ellie Roebuck and the woodwork.
It was an individual moment of excellence and harsh on Casey Stoney’s team who should have taken the lead in the first half and hit the post in the dying minutes after a dramatic deflection in City’s defence.
United can count themselves unlucky not to get more out of the game in which they impressed in the first half, but the superior fitness and experience of City saw them through a difficult test despite unforced errors at times.
An official attendance of 31,213 watched at the Etihad Stadium, smashing the record of 5,265 set when Arsenal lifted last season’s WSL title at the Amex, and it was a close game.
City handed a debut to Aoife Mannion, while Roebuck started in goal with Karen Bardsley out with a hamstring injury.
Janine Beckie started upfront with Lauren Hemp initially ruled out for 5-6 weeks following a shoulder injury in training.
Manchester United named all 7 of their new summer signings in the match day squad, with familiar faces Abbie McManus, Ella Toone, and Jane Ross – all ex-City – starting for the Reds.
Manchester City missing Nikita Parris incisiveness, saved by Ellie Roebuck and the woodwork as Manchester United went close to a goal
City had sorely missed the individual brilliance of Nikita Parris on the break and only a great save by Ellie Roebuck kept City in the game in the first half before Weir settled City nerves early in the second half with a 25 yard rocket to kick off the WSL season.
After a measured beginning, with speculative shots by Georgia Stanway and Leah Galton, the United keeper Mary Earps appeared to aggravate an injury after just 10 minutes and required running repairs.
United edged the first half after City generally failed to test Earps’ injury out in a slow burning start.
Jane Ross’ half volley from 6 yards out after 22 minutes was acrobatically tipped away by Ellie Roebuck after Galton’s early cross left City’s defence trailing after their offside trap was sprung by sprung by United captain Katie Zelem’s forward pass.
Jess Sigsworth’s cross into the six yard box was cut out by Gemma Bonner and Galton’s cross took Sigsworth by surprise after Jackie Groenen allowed the ball to run on from the cross into the box, while Ross saw her shot blocked as United more than matched City.
City tested Earps after 40 minutes when Caroline Weir’s shot was gathered by the United keeper after Tessa Wullaert found her with a through ball.
If the early atmosphere was too polite for a derby there was a spat between Weir and Groenen to spice up the rivalry as they briefly squared up to each other at the end of the first half.
The deadlock was broken shortly after the break after City pressed United into mistakes.
Caroline Weir breaks the Manchester derby deadlock with 25 yard rocket
Zelem’s clearance under pressure was intercepted by Caroline Weir who took a couple of steps before sending back a 25 yard rocket into the top corner past Earps.
Earps went down for more treatment shortly after that while Roebuck saved again from Galton and Beckie ran the full length of the pitch only to lift her shot over the bar on the break from the resulting corner after substitute Amy Turner cut off her passing route to Stanway.
City began to pressurise the United goal with their own crosses into the box and pots shots and their experience began to tell as the Reds lost their momentum.
Stanway went nearest in the final ten minutes, firing over the bar, before Lee Geum-Min made her debut with 8 minutes to go.
With 6 minutes to go there was drama as Groenen went past Bonner and Houghton and a deflection off the Dutch international from Mannion’s clearance saw the ball come back off the inside of the back post and into the hands of Roebuck who had been beaten.
United had given its a scare and will be disappointed not to get anything from the game.
GOAL – Manchester City 1, Manchester United 0
Man City 1, Man Utd 0: 48. City pressed United into a series of mistakes in their own area, with Katie Zelem clearing the ball only as far as Caroline Weir who returned it with interest with a left footed rocket into the top corner from 25 yards out.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 1, Manchester United 0
Man City Women: Roebuck, Mannion, Houghton (C), Bonner, Stokes, Scott, Walsh, Wullaert (Geum-Min 82), Weir, Beckie, Stanway
Man City Women Subs not used: Benameur, Coombs, Bremer, Toland, Park, Fidalgo.
Goal: Weir 48
Man Utd Women: Earps, Okvist (A Turner 56), McManus, M. Turner, Ladd, Zelem (C), Toone, Groenen, Galton (Hanson 76), Sigsworth, Ross (James 80)
Man Utd Women Subs not used: Mikalsen, Harris, Arnot, Smith
Referee: Rebecca Welch
Attendance: 31,213