Match reportLFC Women start 2025 with home WSL win over Brighton

Olivia Smith’s outstanding run and finish lit up the first half of Friday’s Barclays Women’s Super League encounter, but Nikita Parris benefited from a big deflection to equalise for the visitors midway through the second half.

Fortune swung back in the Reds’ favour eight minutes from the end, however, with Grace Fisk’s driven ball bouncing in off Jorelyn Carabali to give Matt Beard’s team all three points.

Liverpool were almost presented a gift within the first minute.

Lucy Parry attacked space along the right flank and hoisted in a deep cross that Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley fumbled. Baggaley recovered quickly to touch the ball away, though, before the lurking Taylor Hinds could pounce.

From there, the early exchanges lacked fluency as neither side could find the best final pass, and the Reds’ cause was not helped by Smith requiring treatment after her dribble forward was halted by a challenge.

Teagan Micah was grateful to teammate Fisk for clearing away a pass across the area that Brighton were close to intercepting, while Cornelia Kapocs sent a shot too close to Baggaley having opened up an angle from the left.

Smith put to bed any lingering concerns about that earlier knock when she put Liverpool in front in sensational style on 31 minutes.

The hosts countered from their own box as Fuka Nagano’s pass to the wing invited Smith to break. The Canada forward showed speed and strength to burst away from Guro Bergsvand and into the box, where she kept her balance and composure to guide a rising finish into the far corner.

The Seagulls had a half-chance to deliver a quick riposte, but Kiko Seike’s control of a pass in behind took her wide and her low drive was off target.

At the other end, Smith might have doubled her and the Reds’ tally, dragging a strike wide of Baggaley’s net from a similar but trickier position to the goal.

Jenna Clark replaced Parry in the Liverpool defence when the sides emerged for the second half, in which the game’s pattern largely continued: an open encounter with few genuinely clear-cut chances.

Beard – watching from the stands as he served a touchline suspension – shuffled his pack by sending on Mia Enderby, Marie Höbinger and Leanne Kiernan just past the hour mark.

And Enderby was sent through on goal by Ceri Holland two minutes later, but she was perhaps caught between a shot and a cross for Kiernan, with her final touch not quite either.

Instead, it was Brighton who netted next, on 66 minutes.

Their equaliser bore no small resemblance to Liverpool’s opener, with Seike racing away along the same right wing. She pulled the ball back for Parris, whose hit from inside the area took a heavy deflection and looped over the reach of Micah to level.

The Reds responded to the disappointment impressively and their efforts paid dividends – with a significant slice of luck – with the contest in its 82nd minute.

Enderby mounted a threat from the right channel and after her delivery towards the middle was half-cleared, the supporting Fisk fired a ball back across. It careered off the unfortunate Carabali and bobbled over the line.

Seven minutes of added time saw Brighton push for a second equaliser, but this time Beard’s charges preserved their lead and secured the victory.

Team

Liverpool: Micah, Parry (Clark, 46), Fisk, Silcock (Bonner, 87), Evans, Hinds, Nagano, Kerr (Höbinger, 62), Holland, Smith (Kiernan, 62), Kapocs (Enderby, 62).

Unused subs: Laws, Bartel, Daniels, Shaw.

Next up

The Reds are on the road next weekend, travelling to face Leicester City in the WSL on Sunday January 26. Kick-off at King Power Stadium will be 3pm GMT and away ticket details are available here.