Ladies suffer Bristol loss in final league game
It was a frustrating night for Liverpool Ladies as they lost 4-2 at Bristol Academy in their final Women’s Super League game of the season.
With the Champions League last 32, first leg tie in Brescia to come on Wednesday, manager Matt Beard was hoping his team could end a difficult league season on a real high.
On September 13, Liverpool Ladies had produced a superb display to beat Bristol 4-1 in the Continental Cup quarter-final, but the home side gained their revenge on Sunday.
With regular No.1 Libby Stout ruled out injured, there was an emotional return in goal for Danielle Gibbons who had surgery in July on a benign brain tumour.
Beard’s side made the worst possible start when they conceded an early goal when Caroline Weir converted a cross from the right.
However, the Ladies responded and got themselves level when Rosie White’s cross from the left was turned into her own net by Hannah Short.
Bristol Academy had already been relegated to WSL 2 and they were determined to end their campaign on a real high.
Satara Murray cleared an effort off the line and Gibbons made a brilliant stop to keep out an effort from Angharad James, but the pressure paid off as Bristol regained the lead.
Christie Murray found space before executing a perfect chip over the advancing Gibbons and into the back of the net.
Gibbons was having a brilliant game and she kept Liverpool Ladies in the game with another great stop to deny Weir from close range.
Two minutes after the restart Bristol went 3-1 up when Weir grabbed her second goal of the game.
Natasha Dowie then had a goal disallowed as the Ladies battled to try and find a way back into the game.
Beard’s side did create some good openings but they just couldn’t score, and they were then caught on the break when Tatiana Pinto ran clear to make it 4-1.
There was still time for Dowie to pull a late consolation goal back, but Beard will be hoping his team can put this result to one side when they travel to Brescia for Wednesday's clash, which you can watch live on LFCTV.
Liverpool Ladies: Gibbons, Harris, Bonner, Murray, Pacheco (Hodson 45), Ryland, Omarsdotttir (Oshoala 62), Zelem, Staniforth, White, Dowie. Subs not used: Darbyshire, Beckwith, Dale, Green.