Match reportLate Matthews winner sees LFC Women beat Charlton

The centre-back glanced home Taylor Hinds’ corner with seven minutes remaining of Sunday’s FA Women’s Championship clash at The Oakwood.

An eighth win in their last nine outings consolidates the Reds’ position at the top of the table and, with only five matches left to play, keeps them seven points clear and firmly on course to secure promotion back to the Women’s Super League.

Matt Beard’s team shaded the early stages of the game, though Charlton goalkeeper Eartha Cumings was untroubled.

Indeed, Liverpool ’keeper Rachael Laws was required to tip Ella Rutherford’s header onto the crossbar midway through the first period as the hosts grew into the contest.

Missy Bo Kearns went close to opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time; the midfielder curling narrowly over the bar from the edge of the area following a driving run by Hinds and Katie Stengel’s half-cleared cross.

Beard brought on Melissa Lawley soon after the restart and the forward’s introduction made a real difference, with her positivity and directness troubling the Charlton backline.

Lawley saw a shot blocked and then created Liverpool’s best chance of the afternoon so far by dancing away from her marker and feeding the onrushing Hinds, who sliced her shot wide.

Yana Daniels was then denied by Cumings following more excellent work by Lawley but, from the resulting corner, the Reds made the breakthrough.

Hinds’ in-swinger was redirected into the far top corner superbly by the head of Matthews to snatch a victory that keeps Beard’s side on track to be crowned champions.

LFC Women: Laws, Daniels, Matthews, Fahey, Roberts, Hinds, Bailey (Holland, 73), Kearns (Wardlaw, 63), Furness, Stengel (Lawley, 56), Kiernan.

Unused subs: Clarke, Hodson, Moore, Humphrey, Campbell, Silcock.