Report: Liverpool 3 United Women 1

Marc Skinner made three changes from the side that progressed in the FA Cup against Sunderland last weekend, with Dominique Janssen returning to the XI and both Elisabeth Terland and Jayde Riviere back from short recent injury absences.

Illness in the Liverpool camp in the wake of their statement cup triumph over Arsenal ruled out influential trio Gemma Bonner, Grace Fisk and Ceri Holland.

But while United dominated the ball for large parts of the game, sucker punches late in the first half from Olivia Smith and Fuka Nagano put Liverpool two goals ahead, before Smith bagged a brace with a second-half penalty.

Maya Le Tissier's well-taken strike ultimately came a little too late in the day to be anything more than consolation from a United perspective.

Defeat, combined with Arsenal's win over Everton, sees United drop to third in the WSL table on goal difference, but still with a four-point cushion over fourth-place Manchester City in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

FIRST HALF

Things got under way following a moment's silence in tribute to 10-year-old Poppy Atkinson, whose name also adorned a United shirt placed on an empty seat left for her on the bench.

United controlled much of the tempo from the earliest stages, although it took around 13 minutes for either side to craft a meaningful chance. Celin Bizet picked off a loose pass from Liverpool defender Jasmine Matthews, driving a low shot that was well tipped wide by Rachael Laws.

But despite having to reshuffle at the back, the Merseyside hosts were doing an admirable job of frustrating the visiting Reds, closing ranks when the ball reached the final third.

Just over half an hour in, Gabby George got her head to a near-post corner delivery that Laws managed to hold. The Liverpool goalkeeper also denied Grace Clinton from distance with a spectacular parry after our No.8 had wriggled away from two defenders.

Smith's breakthrough in the closing stages of the half was completely against the run of play. The Canadian utilised her pace on the right flank, before cutting into the box and managing to squeeze a left-footed shot into the far bottom corner of Phallon Tullis-Joyce's goal.

Liverpool took confidence from getting in front and were able to quickly double that advantage with a rapid breakaway. Sam Kerr chased the ball down the right, with her cutback across the box turned in by Nagano's first-time finish, curling away from the reach of Tullis-Joyce into the net.

SECOND HALF

United were dealt a blow within minutes of the restart when George was withdrawn through injury. But the soon game settled into a similar pattern to the first half, with Skinner's side doing much of the probing. An early opportunity almost fell to Leah Galton at the far post, but she was just squeezed out by a combination of Laws and Liverpool skipper Taylor Hinds.

Smith took the chance to extend her team's lead from the penalty spot midway through the second half. Jayde Riviere had been punished for a challenge on Liverpool left-back Alejandra Bernabe as she entered the box, with Smith keeping her composure to convert from 12 yards.

With 20 minutes to go and in response to the third goal, Skinner made a triple substitution, Hinata Miyazawa, Rachel Williams and Aoife Mannion tasked with changing the game. Melvine Malard also soon entered the fray.

As United searched, Laws saved comfortably from Miyazawa, before Le Tissier strode forward to join a developing attack late on. The skipper met Miyazawa's cutback, feinting to shoot to create the space for an effort that beat Laws at the near post. But Liverpool’s two-goal advantage meant they were still able to see out the result through five minutes of stoppage time.

MATCH DETAILS

Liverpool: Laws; Hinds (c), Clark, Matthews (Evans 76), Bernabe; Kerr, Nagano; Smith (Enderby 82), Hobinger, Kapocs (Daniels 90+3); Haug.

Subs not used: Micah, Fahey, Parry, Bartel, Shaw.

Goals: Smith 42, 67, Nagano 45+2.

United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Mannion 69), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George (Sandberg 53); Clinton, Janssen (Miyazawa 69); Bizet, Toone (Williams 69), Galton (Malard 77); Terland.

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Naalsund.

Goal: Le Tissier 89.

Attendance: 15,596.