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Match Report: Leicester City women 1-3 Manchester United women

by Zoe Hodges

Marc Skinner remains unbeaten in his tenure as his Manchester United side beat Leicester 3-1.

United began the game strongly as Hanson forced the Foxes keeper into a good save in the opening minute.

Jess Sigsworth looked to punish her old club as she took a shot at the other end just moments later, but Earps watched it fly over the bar.

However tragedy struck in the 10th minute as skipper Katie Zelem and Millie Turner both went to clear the ball and they clashed, with Turner coming off worse.

As the game continued Earps pulled off a great save but Turner stayed down, clearly in distress. The game was stopped and she was given oxygen and carefully stretchered off with both United’s and Leicester’s medical staff assisting.

The game resumed with Maria Thorisdottir coming on but United seemed unsettled, with sloppy errors occurring at the back.

Leicester pressed high but United managed to compose themselves and had a number of good chances on the half hour mark.

The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Zelem played it to Ella Toone who fired a right footed shot past Levell from outside the area.

Eight minutes of injury time ensued with the Reds keeping the pressure on and Leah Galton had a good opportunity in the fifth minute of added time as she tapped it just wide of the post.

The second half started well for the visitors, who doubled their lead in the 47th minute as Maria Thorisdottir scored her first goal for the club, scoring from a corner.

Leicester weren’t defeated just yet though, as they came back fighting. Earps made a good save in the 52nd minute to maintain United’s two goal lead.

It was end to end action as Jackie Groenen took a shot followed by Galton a few minutes later, Levell pulling off another good save.

The Foxes made a breakthrough in the 60th minute, scoring controversially from a corner. It looked like Mary Earps had pulled off a magnificent double stop but the linesman deemed the ball to have crossed the line. Former Red Abbie McManus claimed it.

United hit the post twice before supersub Martha Thomas found the back of the net in the 71st minute to restore the Reds’ two goal cushion.

The visitors could have added further to the score with a number of chances struck wide or over the bar.

Nevertheless, it’s a strong start to the season for Skinner’s Red Devils, with two wins in two, though the victory will be slightly overshadowed by that nasty looking injury to Millie Turner.

Team: Earps, Mannion, Blundell, Batlle, Turner (Thorisdottir 15), Zelem, Groenen, Staniforth (Thomas 68), Toone, Galton (Russo 83), Hanson

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