Dowie on the mark in cup win
Liverpool Ladies bounced back to form in style as goals from Natasha Dowie, Lucy Staniforth and Ashley Hodson earned Matt Beard's charges a 3-0 win over Doncaster Belles in the Continental Cup on Thursday night.
After the disappointing Women's Super League defeat at Birmingham at the weekend, the Ladies continued their impressive cup form at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Dowie scored twice in the Continental Cup win over Everton last week and she soon had her third goal in the competition when she finished expertly after a fantastic pass from Rosie White.
It was nearly 2-0 when Ingrid Ryland broke down the right flank and set up White for a great opening, but the New Zealand international could only fire over the bar.
Staniforth is getting sharper game by game after recovering from an ACL injury, and she soon had her first goal in a red shirt when she netted direct from a corner to make it 2-0 just past the half hour mark.
Captain Gemma Bonner then went close to making it 3-0 when her deflected effort just cleared the bar.
Beard took the opportunity to rotate his squad for the second half and give several players a much needed rest after a tough recent schedule.
Substitute Hodson had a goal disallowed after the break and Staniforth fired just over the top as the Ladies continued to apply the pressure.
Hodson wasn't to be denied though for long and she did make it 3-0 with a deflected strike to set the seal on a fine performance.
Beard's charges have a welcome break this weekend before they resume Super League action with a trip to Sunderland on Saturday August 8.
Liverpool Ladies: Stout, Ryland (Harris), Easton, Bonner, Schroder (Hodson), Pacheco, Omarsdottir (Zelem), Staniforth, Longhurst, White, Dowie. Subs not used: Darbyshire, Dale, Smorsgard, Green.
Click here to read more about Liverpool Ladies.