Liverpool Women set a new club record of eight Women’s Super League away games unbeaten, as they won 2-1 against Aston Villa thanks to a brace from Taylor Hinds.
Aston Villa Women 1-2 Liverpool Women
WSL (6), Villa Park
November 3, 2024
Goals: Gabi Nunes 49′; Taylor Hinds 26′ 43′
Liverpool’s start to the season hasn’t gone quite to plan, with individual errors costing the Reds several points in the opening stages of the campaign.
Matt Beard’s side stepped up at Villa Park, though, to win 2-1 and take them level on nine points with Arsenal after six matches.
The Reds are now sixth in the league with a tough game to come against Chelsea at the St Helens Stadium next Sunday.
Back to this weekend’s events and the Reds travelled to Villa Park without striker Sophie Roman Haug, who would likely have started the match.
Last week, news broke that the Norwegian would miss “maybe the next four to six weeks,” according to the manager.
In her place started Leanne Kiernan, who repeatedly impressed from the bench at the end of last season and the start of this campaign.
It wasn’t the strikers, however, who made the difference at Villa Park on Sunday.
Fresh from making her first international appearance for Jamaica, left wing-back Hinds scored both of Liverpool’s goals, the first coming 26 minutes in.
After some nice interplay between Kiernan and Grace Fisk, the former crossed low to the left side of the box where Hinds ran onto the ball, side-footing past goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo with her weaker right foot.
Just before the break, Hinds scored again from a similar position, this time finishing low, across the goalkeeper with her stronger foot.
Half time: Aston Villa Women 0-2 Liverpool Women
Former Liverpool favourite Missy Bo Kearns was in action for the opposition but made little impact and was replaced at half time by another ex-Red, Miri Taylor.
A triple change by manager Robert de Pauw initially brought results, Gabi Nunes nudging the ball over the line four minutes after the break, but Villa couldn’t score again.
Liverpool ‘keeper Rachael Laws’ best save didn’t come until injury time, when she pushed out a clean long-range strike from Taylor to keep the score at 2-1.
Manager Beard will now hope this resilient second-half display can be carried forward into next weekend’s tough home match against Chelsea.
Player of the match: Taylor Hinds
Liverpool Women: Laws; Fisk (Parry 69′), Clark, Bonner, Matthews (Silcock 80′), Hinds; Nagano (Evans 55′), Holland, Hobinger; Kiernan (Kapocs 69′), Smith (Enderby 80′)
Subs not used: Micah, Fahey, Daniels
Next match: Chelsea (H) – WSL – Sunday, November 10, 12.30pm (GMT)
