Ceri Holland double helps LFC Women earn Brighton victory
Ceri Holland struck twice in the second half as Liverpool FC Women earned a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Prenton Park on Sunday.
The Seagulls went ahead in the opening half through Elisabeth Terland as the visiting forward brilliantly struck from distance.
Holland, though, turned the game around after the break, scoring twice to secure the spoils for Matt Beard's outfit.
The game began at a fast pace with both teams looking to dominate the early exchanges.
Natasha Dowie worked the first opportunity of the game, spinning to shoot low from inside the area, though goalkeeper Lydia Williams gathered with ease.
Katie Robinson responded for the visitors, driving down the left and into the box, but Brighton were unable to work Rachael Laws in the Reds’ goal.
Dowie and Katie Stengel continued to provide a strong threat for the home side, as did Shanice van de Sanden on the right flank as the half progressed.
It was the Seagulls, though, who struck first ahead of the half-time interval, with Terland producing a brilliant long-range effort to find the back of the net.
The Reds started on the front foot after the break searching for an equaliser, seeing both Stengel and Van de Sanden shoot over the goalframe.
Laws was forced into a strong save to her left by Terland and it proved crucial a short while later when Liverpool finally levelled.
Van de Sanden cut the ball back from the right and Holland saw her shot loop into the far corner of the Brighton net.
Missy-Bo Kearns almost added a second immediately following the restart, forcing Williams into a strong save with a drilled shot from outside the box.
It was Holland, though, who scored again with 20 minutes remaining to put Beard's charges in front.
Jasmine Matthews' long forward ball found the run of the No.18, with Holland making no mistake from a tight angle to give the Reds their first advantage of the afternoon.
In the closing stages, Brighton went close again through Robinson, but the winger was unable to keep her effort on target from inside the box leaving Liverpool to claim victory.
Liverpool FC Women: Laws, Koivisto, Robe, Matthews, Hinds, Kearns (Lundgaard, 84), Fuka, Holland, Van de Sanden (Roberts, 63), Dowie (Lawley, 71), Stengel.
Unused subs: Cumings, Kirby, Silcock, Taylor.