Niamh Fahey sees red as Liverpool FC Women record second successive defeat at Tottenham

Liverpool FC Women recorded a second successive league defeat after falling to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Tottenham on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur FC Women 1-0 Liverpool FC Women

Women’s Super League, The Hive
September 14, 2019

Goals: Furness pen 45+1′

Vicky Jepson named an unchanged starting XI from the side that fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Reading on the opening day of the league season last time out.

The Reds’ search for their first points of the campaign saw them make the trip down south to face the newly-promoted Tottenham Women, who fell to a similar fate in their first game having suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Chelsea.

Liverpool found themselves in the ascendancy early, drawing Spurs into making a number of fouls which paved the way for the first sight on goal after a well-worked free-kick saw the ball rolled the way of Amy Rodgers on the edge of the box – but her effort sailed agonisingly over the crossbar.

With the Reds failing to test Spurs stopper Becky Spencer, momentum soon swung in Tottenham‘s favour as the hosts were able to exploit the space through Liverpool’s lines and pen them back as Jepson’s side struggled to find the conviction needed to comfortably play out from the back.

Anke Preuss was, therefore, called into action with greater frequency in between the sticks where further efforts from Spurs were thwarted by the Reds outnumbering them in the contest and forcing them into long-range efforts.

Jessica Clarke would ask the only question of Spencer in the first half for Liverpool with a curling shot from distance on the left flank, only to see the ball sail straight into the stoppers’ hands.

But as was the case against Reading, the Reds were left to rue a costly transgression on the cusp of half-time as Becky Jane conceded a penalty after playing the woman not the ball – and paid the ultimate price.

After the break, Liverpool Women found themselves on the front foot as they pushed for an equaliser, but as has been the case in the early stages of the season the decision making and final pass in the attacking third was lacking.

And while the Reds will have wanted Courtney Sweetman-Kirk in the middle of the action, it was Pruess at the other end of the field who again found herself taking centre stage having needed to parry away a number of efforts on goal.

The task was only made tougher when Niamh Fahey was given her marching orders midway through the term after dragging Rosella Ayane down by the waist as the Spurs forward bore down on goal beyond the last line of defence.

Jepson rolled the dice and injected attacking impetus off the bench in the hopes of make a late recovery, but Spurs looked to turn the screws and made the most of their advantage having ensured the Reds were unable to conjure up a clear opportunity in front of goal – and in the end, Liverpool were fortunate not to concede a second.

It is another disappointing result for Liverpool Women after again failing to make the most of their time in possession and sustain any pressure on Spurs’ back-line, but they’ll need to quickly pick themselves up as they now turn their attention to the group stages of the Women’s League Cup.

TIA Woman of the Match: Melissa Lawley

Liverpool Women: Pruess; Jane, Bradley-Auckland, Fahey (Sent off 64′), Robe; Bailey, Rodgers (Purfield 67′), Lawley; Charles (Babajide 59′), Clarke (Hodson 79′), Sweetman-Kirk

Subs not used: Kitching, Linnett

Next Match: Sheffield United (H) – FA Women’s League Cup – Sunday, September 22, 12pm (BST)