JWSport Jacek Waszak – Sport journalist
Bristol City were beaten by newly crowned champions Liverpool in front of a record crowd of 5,752 at Ashton Gate on Sunday.A record at this stadium.
The visitors had the first chance of the afternoon when Leanne Kiernan fired a shot from outside the penalty area but Fran Bentley managed to defend the strike.
The Reds’ top scorer came close to scoring when, after a long pass from Megan Campbell, her shot hit the crossbar from close range.
The league leaders opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey scored from close range after a mix-up in the City penalty area.
Just two minutes later Satara Murray played a perpendicular ball to Aggie Beever-Jones, whose wayward pass flew over a helpless Rachel Laws and into the far corner of the net to give the Robins the equaliser.
Rachel Furness tried her luck from distance before Beever-Jones had a chance to put the hosts ahead when she caught another perpendicular ball from Satara Murray, but Laws defended the ball well with her feet.
The fast pace of the game continued throughout the first half as Kiernan headed across goal, but Brooke Aspin was able to defend and clear the danger.
Five minutes before the break the visitors regained the lead thanks to a familiar face to City fans, Jasmine Matthews, who scored from close range after another mix-up in the penalty area.
A few minutes before the end of the second half Furness again tried to shoot from distance but Bentley quickly deflected the ball over the crossbar.
Harrison saw goal for the first time in the second half when she received the ball in the Liverpool half and had Laws to beat, but the striker failed to pick it up.
Aspin and Murray combined to prevent Kiernan from scoring when he made a quick attack on City.
Stengel opened up a two-goal advantage for Liverpool when he found himself in the bottom corner after another Campbell throw-in.
City got back into the game after 20 minutes of play when Harrison scored his 19th goal of the season. Ffion Morgan’s superb pass came under the striker’s feet and he neatly chipped the ball into the bottom corner, bringing the hosts within striking distance.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Liverpool sealed victory and thus the league title when substitute Missy Bo Kearns scored from outside the penalty area.
Carla Humphrey looked almost certain to increase Liverpool’s lead in the final five minutes, but Naomi Layzell superbly stopped the former City player.
Just minutes before the end of the game Jasmine Bull came close to scoring, but Laws managed to deflect the ball over the crossbar and stopped the Bristolian from getting on the scoresheet.
Bristol City 2 – 4 Liverpool
Bristol City: Beever Jones 14′, Harrison 69′
Liverpool: Fahey 13′, Harrison 39′, Stengel 59′, Kearns 79′
BRISTOL CITY Women : Bentley, Layzell, Aspin (Wilde 84), Murray, Cataldo (Powell 59), C.Bull, Davies, Allen (J.Bull 59), Beever-Jones, Morgan, Harrison (capt).
Liverpool FC Women: Laws, Roberts, Fahey, Matthews, Campbell (Wardlaw, 68), Hinds, Holland (Kearns, 73), Furness (Bailey, 85), Lawley (Humphrey, 85), Stengel, Kiernan (Daniels, 68).
