Caroline Weir capped-off her 100th Manchester City appearance with a goal as The Cityzens recorded a 3-0 win over Durham at The Academy Stadium this evening.
Filippa Angeldahl handed the home side the lead after 16 minutes but they had to remain patient before finding their second and third goals. Caroline Weir netted with a fierce shot from the edge of the area with four minutes to go before Janine Beckie got in on the act with a close range finish a minute from time.
Manchester City beat Everton in their first group game 5-1 a few weeks ago but went into this fixture looking to put Sunday’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea behind them.
Gareth Taylor made several changes from the side that suffered defeat on Sunday. Swedish international Angeldahl was one of the changes to the starting XI alongside Jess Park, Vicky Losada, Ruby Mace and Alanna Kennedy.
FA Women’s Championship club Durham came into the game sat at the top of their league, two points clear of Liverpool in second place. They will have been full of confidence after taking Manchester United to penalties in their first group game in this season’s FA Women’s Continental League Cup
Lee Sanders’ side’s priority this season is promotion and the Durham boss handed starts to a number of younger members of his squad with Hannah Greenwood, Grace Ayre and Lily Crosthwaite all coming into the starting line-up.
After a slow start to the game, the home side took the lead after 16 minutes through Angeldahl. She fired low across the face of goal into the bottom-left corner, following a brilliant pull back from Beckie on the right flank.
Park went close to doubling the home side’s lead after 26 minutes when she fired narrowly over from close range before Losada tried her luck from distance but her effort curled over the bar.
The visitors struggled to find a way through a strong Manchester City defence but they went close just before the break when Crosthwaite turned Ruby Mace before firing an effort straight at home keeper Karima Benameur Taieb from a tight angle.
Beckie went close to doubling the home side’s lead on the stoke of half-time as she curled a left-footed effort on goal which struck the crossbar after Durham failed to clear the ball to safety from a corner.
The home side came out and dominated possession in the early exchanges of the second period and again went close to doubling their lead. Beckie attempted to get onto the end of a Park cross but she was unable to get a touch to the ball before Ellen White fired over the bar from inside the penalty area.
The chances kept on coming for the home side but they were unable to capitalise. Angeldahl struck the post from 20 yards out with her side’s next effort before Park fired wide on the rebound.
With four minutes to go, substitute Weir struck a fierce effort on goal from the edge of the area and the ball flew into the top corner via the crossbar.
It got better for the home side as Beckie struck from close range to make it 3-0 with a minute to go as Taylor’s side turned on the style in the final few minutes of the second half.
The victory for Manchester City means that they top their group with six points while Durham are in fourth on one point.
Manchester City will look to use tonight’s victory as a confidence booster going into Sunday’s clash at Leicester City in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League. Durham will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to South London to take on Crystal Palace.
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