Mary Fowler’s late header helped Manchester Metropolis prolong their unbeaten begin to the season with a dramatic 3-2 win over St. Polten within the Ladies’s Champions League.
Manchester Metropolis received off to a powerful begin in Austria, with Alana Kennedy scoring brilliantly within the seventh minute with a surprising strike from distance.
The guests then got here near doubling their lead by means of Laura Brindkield-Brown, who was denied by Karina Schrute’s fingertips, earlier than Aoba Fujino’s shot hit the submit moments later.
Regardless of Metropolis’s dominance, they failed to seek out success of their seek for a second probability and have been finally shocked by St. Polten’s shock equalizer simply earlier than half-time.
Alex Greenwood needlessly gave up a nook kick after taking possession of the ball in her personal penalty space, and the Metropolis captain paid the value for her mistake.
With the ball bouncing across the space from a set piece, Metropolis did not clear their defence, and Melanie Brunnthaler wasted no time breaking previous Khiara Keating to place the sport away equalize.
St. Poelten’s Melanie Brentaler celebrates her group’s first purpose in opposition to Manchester Metropolis.
St. Polten continued their sturdy play after the break, with Kamila Dubcova turning and firing powerfully on the restart, however her purpose was shortly met by Fujino on the again submit. The volley is offset.
Lauren Hamp, Khadija Shaw, Gil Rudd and Laia Alexandri have been all dropped on the bench, however Fowler additionally hit the woodwork within the first half, finally changing from an inswinging A nook kick gave Manchester Metropolis the lead.
Set items determine the sport
Sky Sports activities’ Patrick Rowe:
“Each Saint-Poulten’s objectives got here from Metropolis’s failure to clear their protection from set-pieces, however sarcastically it was this nook that saved Gareth Taylor’s facet.
“The defending for the primary purpose was comical in their very own space and captain Greenwood will not be proud of the choices she made earlier than the second purpose.
“We have to be taught classes – cleansing up the ball and stopping the second section of the sport is the primary factor – however Metropolis escaped this recreation with three factors.”
When will the Champions League group stages take place?
Listed below are the remaining recreation dates:
Match Day 3: November twelfth/thirteenth Match Day 4: November 20/21 Match Day 5: December 11/12 Match Day 6: December 17/18
