LONDON – Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw found the back of the nets for the ninth time this season as Manchester City secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over London City Lionesses when action in the Women’s Super League (WSL) continued in England on Sunday.
Shaw opened the scoring early in the second half, but City needed a goal from Lauren Hemp to snatch all three points after Jana Fernandez drew the Lionesses level.
The Lionesses actually dominated the game in the first half and could have gone ahead after just 30 seconds when Rebecca Knaak almost deflected in Lucia Corrales’ dangerous cross.
Fernandez, Danielle van de Donk, Izzy Goodwin, Alexia Putellas and Kadidiatou Diani, all wasted good chances to score for the Lionesses in the opening minutes.
They were made to rue those missed opportunities when Hemp picked out Shaw, who showed her class by rounding goalkeeper Mary Earps and firing the ball into the roof of the net from close range in the 53rd minute.
It was the Jamaican international’s ninth goal in eight WSL matches and left the defending golden boot winner at the top of the goal scorer’s table.
The Lionesses responded well and kept the pressure on, winning a corner on the left-hand side, which Fernandez capitalised on, flicking her header into the far corner to make it 1-1 after 72 minutes.
But Hemp diverted in a cross from Mary Fowler two minutes later to regain City’s lead with what proved to be the match-winning goal.
CMC
