City frustration for Ladies
It was a frustrating night for Natasha Dowie and co in Manchester as Liverpool Ladies lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the Continental Cup.
Matt Beards's side had beaten City in their Women's Super League opening game in Widnes, but the hosts gained their revenge on Wednesday night.
City made a bright start to the game and took an early lead when McManus fired a superb effort beyond the reach of returning goalkeeper Libby Stout from 20-yards out.
When Gemma Davison is on the pitch there is always a worry for opposition defences, and one superb run saw her beat four players only to see her inviting cross cleared by the City defence.
However, Davison wasn't to be denied as she teed up the deadly Dowie to make it 1-1.
Minutes later Katrin Omarsdottir latched onto a superb through ball from Gemma Bonner, but just as it looked as Liverpool were about to take a 2-1 lead she was denied by a superb point blank stop from England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.
City regained the lead just after the break when Isobel Christiansen fired a drive beyond the reach of Stout.
Dowie then fired a shot onto the roof of the net and substitute Martha Harris was denied by Bardsley, before Stout kept Beards's side in the game with a wonderful save to keep out Christiansen.
It is now a draw, a win and a defeat from their opening three Continental Cup games, and they now resume their title defence with a trip to Notts County on Sunday.
Liverpool Ladies team: Libby Stout, Becky Easton (Ashley Hodson), Corina Shroder, Fara Williams, Gemma Bonner, Lucy Bronze, Claudia Walker (Martha Harris), Katrin Omarsdottir, Natasha Dowie, Gemma Davison, Amanda Da Costa.
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