WSLMatch report: Late drama as LFC Women clinch stunning 4-3 win over Chelsea

The Reds fell behind to the Blues early on, with Aggie Beever-Jones the goalscorer, but turned it around in the second half. Sophie Roman Haug’s equaliser was followed by a Bonner header that went in off Erin Cuthbert.

Leanne Kiernan clinically put Matt Beard’s team back in front a minute after Beever-Jones had levelled, but the visitors restored parity again when Catarina Macario’s effort went in off Teagan Micah.

On her 150th club appearance, though, the final word came from Bonner, with no doubt about the identity of the scorer as she nodded home in added time.

A fairly placid start to proceedings in the Barclays Women’s Super League clash belied what was to come, and it was broken in the ninth minute.

Chelsea’s corner kick from the right side was delivered plum into the centre of the Liverpool six-yard box and Beever-Jones found space and met it with a clinical header into the left corner.

The visitors were close to making it two almost immediately afterwards as Macario deftly dinked a pass into the area for Sjoeke Nusken.

Nusken controlled the ball with her head and drove in a low shot that Micah got enough contact on to prevent it going over the line, with Taylor Hinds on hand to complete the clearance.

Then, Bonner and Micah combined to keep out Macario when she struck at goal at the end of a counter-attack spearheaded by Fran Kirby.

Emma Koivisto was just unable to beat the goalkeeper to Roman Haug’s threaded pass, while an offside flag was raised at the other end after Macario had a clipped a through ball over Micah one-on-one.

A long-ranger from Ceri Holland was a comfortable take for Blues goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, before Liverpool’s best chance of the half.

Marie Höbinger’s free-kick from deep was headed against her own teammate by Millie Bright and landed for Roman Haug, whose effort was sliced off target.

Hinds was close with a turn and strike that was deflected wide of goal, as the Reds – who lost Koivisto to an injury – ended the half well.

Liverpool started brightly in the second half too, and it was not yet a minute old when Holland scampered along the left and sent in a cross. Höbinger was there but unable to bring the ball under control.

It felt like a goal was within touching distance for the hosts, and it arrived on 51 minutes.

Höbinger swiped in a brilliant corner from the left flank and it came to Roman Haug near the far post, who redirected a header back across goal and into the same corner Beever-Jones earlier found.

Mia Enderby’s pace troubled Chelsea all night and she had a big chance to strike when slid into the box by Roman Haug, but Hampton pawed away her finish aimed for the top right corner.

The Reds soon had their second goal, however.

Again it was a vicious Höbinger corner that created it, with Bonner getting a touch with her head around the near-post area and the ball nestling into the Chelsea goal via Cuthbert.

The title-chasing visitors set about laying siege and Yana Daniels had to clear off the goalline from Beever-Jones’ looping header as the last 10 minutes approached.

But Beever-Jones could not be denied when Niamh Charles beat the outrushing Micah to a ball at the byline and squared it. The Blues No.33 lashed an effort high into the net for 2-2.

The contest was akin to basketball at this point, and Liverpool immediately went back ahead. Outstanding battling from Holland preceded a pass that carved right through the opposition defence and allowed Kiernan to tuck past Hampton.

The away team almost-instantly equalised again. Cuthbert hit the byline along the right channel and her cutback was driven at goal by Macario. It bobbled around and ultimately crossed the line off Micah’s back.

Still there was time for more drama.

Two minutes into nine initially added on, another Höbinger corner was met by Bonner and the centre-back’s angled header cleanly landed in the bottom left of the net.

Chelsea refused to give it up and only a sensational reaction save from Micah denied Beever-Jones’ volley in the final throes, preserving a breathless win for the Reds.

TEAM

Liverpool: Micah, Koivisto (Daniels, 45+4), Fisk, Bonner, Clark, Hinds (Matthews, 71), Nagano, Holland (Kearns, 82), Höbinger, Enderby (Kiernan, 71), Roman H.

Unused subs: Spencer, Lawley, Chadwick, Leath.

NEXT UP

The Reds are back at Prenton Park on Sunday afternoon (May 5) when they host Manchester United in the WSL.

Kick-off is 2pm BST and tickets are available to buy here.