Two second half goals saw Manchester United come back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City at the Leigh Sports Village this afternoon.
The first Manchester derby of the season got Women’s Football Weekend ’20 underway and it was possibly the first time in history that Manchester United have gone into the fixture not as underdogs. The two sides were probably viewed as on par going into the match and that is how it turned out with both teams sharing the points in a riveting contest.
The away side had an early lead inside 10 minutes when United failed to clear a corner and Chloe Kelly produced a deft first-time finish into the top corner.
That goal seemed to give Gareth Taylor’s team the confidence to get a real strangle hold on the game. They pushed hard for a second goal and but for some desperate United defending, they would have got it.
City did eventually make their dominance count just before half-time when United failed to clear once again and the ball fell to Laura Coombs. The midfielder picked her spot from 18 yards and fired into the top corner. United boss Casey Stoney may have felt hard done by as Kelly appeared to be offside in the build up, however, it would be hard to argue that the travelling side didn’t deserve it.
United came out from the dressing room like a completely different team and had a spell of very good pressure early in the second period. They were eventually able to make it count when Tobin Heath latched onto a loose ball in the City area and let rip with a thunderous shot which flew into the top corner to half the deficit.
City looked to have survived the waves of pressure from United and began creating chances of their own but weren’t able to convert and they were eventually made to pay for those missed opportunities.
United had a series of chances from corners, the first blocked from Millie Turner and then the next saved well by Ellie Roebuck as Kirsty Hanson shot from close range, however, the rebound bounced straight back to the United player who converted at the second time of asking, completing an unlikely comeback for her team.
Both sides were then pushing for a winner and it was United who came closest in the dying moments of the game. Lucy Staniforth tussled in the City box and got her head on a corner which was heading into the back of the net, however, she was denied at the last by Demi Stokes who got her body in the way to save her side.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw with contrasting emotions for the two bosses. City head coach Taylor will be bitterly disappointed that his side didn’t kill the game off when they had the chance and Stoney will be delighted with the resolve shown by her side to bounce back in the way that they did.
United remain unbeaten this season and stay perched top of the table, although possibly temporarily. In all three fixtures against the “top three” this season they have come away with something. As for City, they will see it as a opportunity lost to gain ground on the leading pack in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and they remain five points behind their City rivals.
The Manchester derby was a great way to start Women’s Football Weekend ’20 and hopefully, the remaining fixtures are as dramatic and captivating as this one.
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