Women's Super League: Rachel Daly the difference as Aston Villa beat Leicester City
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ByOli Gent
Published 19/01/2024 at 21:45 GMT
Rachel Daly netted her fifth goal of the Women's Super League campaign to give Aston Villa a precious 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton. Carla Ward's side hauled themselves up from ninth to seventh in the WSL table, above their opponents, as Willie Kirk's side are now nine games without a win. Carla Ward's Villans, meanwhile, have four wins from six.
BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND - JANUARY 19: Rachel Daly of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the Barclays Women´s Super League match between Leicester City and Aston Villa at Pirelli Stadium on January 19, 2024 in Bur
Image credit: Getty Images
Rachel Daly’s fifth goal of the season gave Aston Villa a precious 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the Pirelli Stadium.
Villa, who came into the match in ninth in the Women's Super League, have hauled themselves into seventh in the 12-strong table, above Leicester.
The Villans had made four changes to the side that beat Brighton and Hove Albion 1-0 in their last outing, with Daphne van Domselaar, Noelle Maritz, Laura Blindkilde and Alisha Lehmann all given the nod by coach Carla Ward.
A lively Leicester start had Villa on the back foot from the get-go, but a bolt from the blue from Daly on the quarter-hour, notching home a corner, had the visitors’ noses in front.
Home goalkeeper Janina Leitzig denied Lehmann from doubling the Villa lead just seven minutes later, and Shannon O’Brien went close at the other end, with her header needing a save from the visiting shot-stopper Van Domselaar.
Adriana Leon’s fizzing effort dipped just over the bar as Villa continued to seek a second before the break, and Willie Kirk, the Leicester manager, made two half-time changes to try and shake the encounter up, bringing on Deanne Rose and Josie Green.
Rose almost had an instant impact as her cross fell kindly to the unmarked Nicole Momiki, but The Foxes’ new arrival was denied by the hands of Van Domselaar.
Leon saw another effort saved by Leitzig on the hour, and she found herself frustrated once again by the German eight minutes later.
Mayumi Pacheco’s 74th-minute slip should have been punished by Rose but was not, and the forward raced through on goal with three minutes to go, only to find herself foiled by the determined Van Domselaar, with Ava Baker’s follow-up effort cleared off the line by Sarah Mayling.
Villa held on for a valuable three points, condemning Leicester to a ninth WSL game without a win.
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