by Leaders Manchester United eased their league woes as they advanced into the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Cup with a comfortable win over Brighton.
First half goals from Millie Turner, Nikita Parris and Lucía García and a great finish from Lisa Naalsund in the second half saw last year’s finalists into the last four again.
The manager, Marc Skinner, hailed a “complete performance” from his team that brought relief from their inconsistent league form.
“I thought we were great,” he said. “That was probably one of our best performances… Our rhythm went faster; our players came together faster. It was the uglier side of the game that I thought we mastered very well. I am very proud of him.”
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As the sun set, the teams emerged in front of an anticipated crowd at Broadfield Stadium. This was a rematch of last season’s semi-final, a competitive affair which saw Manchester United take the lead thanks to an 89th minute winner from Rachel Williams.
The home supporters were in confidence as they welcomed back their side after a successful trip to Bristol in the Women’s Super League. Mikey Harris named an unchanged side from the one that scored seven the previous weekend.
In contrast, Skinner made three changes to his lineup after a frustrating league draw at West Ham. As a result they slipped further away from the top three, with the prospect of European football on the wane.
Jayde Riviere made his long-awaited return from injury and Naalsund and García also came back in. That meant Parris, a player enjoying a strong run of form, was pushed forward to lead the line.
Jutta Rantala scored twice as Leicester City beat Liverpool to book a place in the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Cup for the first time.
The Foxes were without manager Willie Kirk, who is currently being investigated over allegations of an affair with one of his players. Assistant manager Jennifer Foster and first team coach Stephen Kirby took charge on Saturday and oversaw a historic victory.
Finnish midfielder Rantala smashed the ball into the bottom corner on the rebound after Janice Cayman hit the post with a curling shot. Despite pressure from Liverpool before and after the goal, Leicester went a goal up at the interval.
Liverpool, without a win at home since mid-November, continued to press forward but were punished for their promiscuity as Rantala led a break downfield before hitting a shot off the crossbar from the edge of the box.
‘I said to the players before the game, if we do what we need to do and if we do it the way we know we can then we know we will get the result we deserve – and we did,’ Foster told the BBC.
‘There were a minute or two when we got lost in a rally and they almost capitalized but that was the wake-up call we needed and we shifted up a gear. I can’t fault the players for everything they did today – I thought they were fantastic.’ Guardian sport
Although the hosts looked energetic in the early stages, it wasn’t long before United began to take the lead. García was enjoying himself down the right, giving him plenty of space to run into.
With Brighton’s defense looking shaky, the visitors got the early lead they wanted when García smashed home a corner. The initial delivery was cleared but Katie Zelem cleared the ball before sending in one of her trademark crosses. Turner, running in at the back post, rose above everyone to thump home the header.
United’s dominance continued as they put Sophie Baggaley’s goal under pressure. Melvine Malard played a vital role as they doubled their lead 10 minutes later when she threaded a well-timed pass to Parris. With only the keeper to beat, she rubbed the ball.
Brighton desperately searched for a way back into the game but their end product was lacking. United, meanwhile, continued to threaten. Naalsund had an effort over before Hannah Blundell forced Baggaley into a fine save.
They added a third just before the break when García turned the ball home after Malard hit the woodwork.
United were unwilling to take their foot off the gas, with only Baggaley’s performance keeping the score down. The goalkeeper brilliantly denied Malard frustration twice before producing a superb save to keep out Parris late on. She could do little in the visitors’ quarter, however, when Naalsund attempted a sublime swing.
It was an exciting evening for Brighton, falling back to earth after last week’s highs. For United, however, it was a confidence-boosting win in a competition that means a lot to Skinner and his team. “He does [mean a lot]. We were so frustrated when we lost in the final. We want to get back. We know it will be difficult for whoever gets us but I think the negative feeling from last year’s final will motivate us to give everything we can to bring our fans back to Wembley.” It could also be a result that injects much-needed life into the rest of their league campaign.
