Women 0 – 1 Manchester United – Match Report

We were knocked out of the Subway Women’s League Cup with a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Elisabeth Terland capitalized on a defensive error to give the visitors the lead, and the task of coming from behind was made more difficult after Olivia Smith was sent off.

FIRST HALF

We were immediately on the front foot with Smith surging down the right, allowing Alessia Russo to cross for Frida Maanum, whose header down the right was saved by Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Katie McCabe’s inside free-kick from the right was then pushed away, before Mariona Caldentey put the ball back into the box, Lotte Wubben-Moy getting her header on before Caitlin Foord’s header was denied.

Moments later, the ball fell to Maanum and she fired from close range.

The visitors saw their first goal come from a United free-kick at the far post by Ellen Ingegerd Wangerheim, but Anneke Borbe leaned in to catch the header.

At the other end Smith played it inside to Maanum who in turn found Russo and she volleyed just wide of the bottom left corner.

Laia Codina made a vital defensive contribution as half-time approached, coming back very well to make a clean tackle after Jess Park had played Wangerheim through on goal.

Russo fired a free-kick over the bar as half-time approached, but we went into the break after Borbe gave the ball away and Terland capitalized, slotting into the bottom left corner.

SECOND HALF

Maanum curled an effort over the bar early in the second half, before a left-footed shot from the edge of the box met the same fate.

In the 56th minute, Victoria Pelova made a good run and was found by Foord before crossing for Russo, who hooked it into the bottom right.

We made our first change with just over half an hour to go, Stina Blackstenius replacing Maanum, but we were quickly reduced to 10 players when Smith received a second yellow card.

Mariona then aimed for the bottom right corner but Tullis-Joyce parried it past the post as we looked for an all-important equalizer.

After Melvine Malard shot from close range on the counter-attack, we made two more changes with Kim Little replacing Pelova and Smilla Holmberg introduced in place of Taylor Hinds.

Holmberg almost made an instant impact when she ran down the right and collected a good ball over the top from Mariona, but the former missed the target.

Beth Mead replaced Russo with six minutes remaining and Park curled high and wide in the first minute of six extra minutes.

Foord’s 93rd minute cross found Mead at the far post, but she headed wide and we couldn’t find a way back into the game, with Park going close again late on but denied by Borbe.

WHAT’S NEXT

We travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday (12:30 p.m. KO) to face Chelsea in the Barclays Women’s Super League, before heading to Brentford Stadium on Wednesday for the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup semi-final against AS FAR (6 p.m. KO).

The Champions Cup final and third place play-off will take place at the Arsenal Stadium on Sunday 1 February and tickets are available now.