Owls Ladies Crash To Liverpool

Sheffield Wednesday Ladies put in a battling performance but fell to defeat by a single goal at able-topping Liverpool Ladies at the weekend.

Karen Jones bagged the winning goal for the hosts in the proverbial game of two halves, as Liverpool dominated the first but had to hold off a battling showing from Wednesday in the second half.

Owls stopper Danni Maslin had to be at the top of her game to deny Liverpool early on.

But they weren't to be denied just before the half hour mark, despite calls for offside from the visitors, as Jones fired home for what turned out to be the decisive goal.

The second half was a completely different story as Wednesday raised the tempo and quality.

With the back four equal to any Liverpool attack, the Owls pushed forward and ten minutes into the second half, Rich found herself around the back of the Red's centre backs once again, and from a very tight angle couldn't just see the ball round the post.

A lively Sarah Danby and Emily Scott gave the Liverpool full-backs a tough time, as Wednesday created chance after chance, the best falling to Rich.

A high ball found Rich just on the edge of the area, and without a second thought hit the ball with a swinging volley, which just went over the bar.

Wednesday continued to dominate, with the midfield of De Silva and Lee breaking up nearly everything and looking to go forward with a greater urgency, and with the impact of an in-form Rachel Skeemer in front of them, the Wednesday technical staff were hopeful of pulling a goal back.

But it wasn't the blue and whites day, and in the last ten mins Liverpool broke quickly from a Wednesday attack, but keeper Maslin, who was in fine form, produced two of the highest quality saves to keep the Liverpool strike force out once again.

Assistant Manager Liam Kelly said: "A game of two halves - Yes, Liverpool dominated the first, they had us on the back foot, we we're at sorts at times, they took advantage, got the goal and looked comfortable.

'I think we could sit here and talk about the decision to allow the goal, but it makes no difference to anything, we had enough chances to finish the game off. But I can see why the Fergie's and Wenger's of the world get wound up; one poor decision can ruin a week`s hard work.

But credit to our players, they got on with it, listened to what was said at half-time and did everything that was asked of them.

You look at the positives from the second half, did we create - yes, were our attacking players effective - yes; we won the battle in the middle of the park, so well dones must go to Lee, De Silva and Skully and we defended better.'

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