Parris becomes all-time top FA WSL scorer as Manchester City beat Liverpool

Nikita Parris made history to become the all-time leading goalscorer in the FA Women’s Super League after her brace inspired Manchester City to victory over Liverpool at Prenton Park.

Liverpool defended resolutely in the first half but conceded through Niamh Fahey’s own goal straight after the restart, with Parris grabbing her first soon after.

The forward doubled her tally from the spot five minutes from time to seal City’s fifth win in eight – Parris’ 37th goal in the competition’s history surpassing Aluko’s 36.

READ MORE: Women’s Super League – What we’ve learned from round eight

KEY MOMENTS

The first real chance of note fell to City on the half-hour. It came from the boot of Caroline Weir as she got on the end of a beautiful floated cross by Tessa Wullaert, but Anke Preuss did well to turn it around for a corner.

City dominated the half but nearly came undone when keeper Ellie Roebuck was caught in possession by Kirsty Linnett – the ball rebounding off the striker for a goal kick.

The deadlock was broken after the break and came as City’s Weir was causing a nuisance of herself in the area. In Fahey’s attempt to dispossess Weir she inadvertently steered the ball into her own net.

Parris struck on the hour and captain Steph Houghton was close to bagging a third for City but her exquisite free-kick was tipped onto the crossbar by Preuss and cleared from danger, Houghton hitting the woodwork again later on.

Parris got her second from the penalty spot and sealed the points for City after Fahey had upended second-half substitute Georgia Stanway in the area.

GOAL OF THE MATCH

The Manchester side doubled their lead moments later as Parris pounced onto a Jill Scott through ball and finished sublimely from an angle past the onrushing Preuss, equaling Aluko’s record in style.

WHAT THEY SAID

Manchester City striker Nikita Parris commented after the game: “I think in the first half we could have played better. It was the final pass in the opposition’s final third, we just couldn’t quite connect, but we knew that we had to come out second half and put goals away and that’s what we did today.

“Nick (Cushing) basically said at half-time just keep playing the way we have been but in the final third clean up and tidy up.

“He said to take care with that final pass or final touch and get yourself set up with a shot or put someone else in, and that’s got to be better.”

Parris also went on to comment on making history as the league’s top goalscorer: “It’s an amazing feeling, it’s what you want to do as a striker and for me to be so young and be top goalscorer with plenty of years left in me – it bodes well for the future and hopefully it will continue.”

Liverpool captain Sophie Bradley-Auckland: “It was disappointing for us today, the first goal was a freak goal. Niamh (Fahey) was doing her best to get a foot in to make the tackle and unfortunately it ended up in the back of our net.

“But there were so many positives to take form that game, especially in the first half we really held our own, and defended like our lives depended on it.

“That is the thing we need to keep working on in training and I think we just go back and reflect. For me I’ve got to get over it quickly because I‘ve got to go back to being a mummy now.

“I thought we did really well, we matched them and a couple of times when we got into their half and the final third we just lacked that bit of quality at times.

“We’ve got great team spirit, we’ve got so many girls in here because we love it and that’s the main thing about it.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Liverpool are away at Bristol City on Saturday November 17, while Manchester City travel to Yeovil Town on Sunday 25 November.

Parris added: “We have got international duty, so first of all we switch hats, we go from club to country and we’ve got two games against Austria and Sweden and we’ve got to concentrate on winning those games first.

“When we come back from that we refresh ourselves ready to go into the Yeovil game.

“I’m always excited to go on international duty so I can’t wait.

“I think Yeovil’s setup will be pretty similar to how Liverpool played today with a low block, even lower than Liverpool. Liverpool play with a mid-block but Yeovil play a low block and will try and hit us on the counter if they can.

“It will be very difficult, like it was in the first half for us today, so when we start that game we’ve got to be on our game in that final third and our passing has got to be better.”

Bradley-Auckland added: “We’ll definitely bounce back against Bristol. We just go again, we analyse and look at the areas we can improve.

“They’re a good team, they’ve got quite a few more new players. Their manager Tanya (Oxtoby) is a great manager, I know her very well from being at Notts County so we need to prepare correctly and it will be a real tough game but there is no reason that we can’t go and get the three points, I’ll back us every day.

“I think all we can do is our preparation because it needs to be a little bit about us. Every game we come into we look at what we can do best to beat that team rather than focusing on too much on them.”

Liverpool (0) 0

Manchester City (0) 3

Niamh Fahey og 49

Parris 60, 85 pen

Liverpool (4-1-4-1): Anke Preuss; Satara Murray, Sophie Bradley-Auckland (c), Leighanne Robe, Niamh Fahey; Rhiannon Roberts; Christie Murray, Laura Coombs; Yana Daniels, Rinsola Babajide; Niamh Charles

Substitutes: Kirsty Linnett for Charles 27, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk for Daniels 60, Amy Rodgers for Christie Murray 81

Substitutes not used: Fran Kitching, Leandra Little

Bookings: Satara Murray 67

Red Cards:

Manchester City (4-3-3): Ellie Roebuck; Gemma Bonner, Jennifer Beattie, Steph Houghton (c), Esme Morgan; Jill Scott, Keira Walsh, Caroline Weir; Nikita Parris, Clare Emslie, Tessa Wullaert

Substitutes: Georgia Stanway for Emslie 60, Janine Beckie for Wullaert 74

Substitutes not used: Fran Stenson, Melissa Lawley, Nadia Nadim, Jess Park, Abbie McManus

Bookings: Bonner 40

Red Cards:

Referee: T Parsons

Attendance: 661