Match reportLate defeat for LFC Women at Chelsea in WSL

Emma Koivisto clinically dispatched an opener from close range to put the Reds ahead early on, but the hosts levelled just before the break courtesy of Niamh Charles’ header.

It looked like Matt Beard’s side were on course to gain a point, only for Sam Kerr to grab a winner for the home team four minutes from the end.

Liverpool got themselves in front at Kingsmeadow before two minutes had elapsed.

The visitors turned over possession in the Chelsea half, Shanice van de Sanden slid a pass forward to Natasha Dowie down the left-hand side and her hooked cross back into the box reached the far post and Koivisto, who fired in an excellent first-time finish.

Chelsea set about mounting pressure for an equaliser quickly and a lofted pass in behind the Reds defence on 14 minutes invited Kerr to bear down on goal.

But Gemma Bonner was well positioned to cover the move and timed her sliding challenge perfectly to block the opponent’s effort.

Moments later, Guro Reiten beat the offside trap to take in a through pass on the left channel but her low strike towards the near post was thwarted by Liverpool goalkeeper Faye Kirby.

Kirby had to produce an even better stop to push away a Kerr glanced header from close range, before Jessie Fleming swiped a shot over the crossbar from 20 yards.

The home side were dominating the ball and their efforts paid dividends in the 41st minute. Former Red Charles met a corner kick from the right in the near-post area and nodded it across Kirby and inside the left of goal.

Still, Beard’s charges could have regained the lead just before the whistle. Jasmine Matthews’ raking pass from deep was moved on by Missy Bo Kearns into the box for Van de Sanden, whose drive was saved by the goalkeeper and Dowie was denied on the rebound by Eve Perisset.

Chelsea began the second half on the front foot and Liverpool then had to withdraw Ceri Holland after the midfielder sustained a neck injury.

Koivisto almost turned provider just past the hour mark with a dangerous, dipping cross from the right side that narrowly evaded Dowie inside the box.

The Reds’ forays forward decreased as time ticked away, however, and Bonner needed to make a crucial intervention when she stretched to get her head on a cross before Pernille Harder could connect at close range.

Reiten had the ball in the Liverpool net on 83 minutes with a cross-shot that crashed into the roof of the goal, only for a marginal offside call in the build-up to rule it out.

However, Chelsea completed the turnaround soon after, with Fleming’s curler from the edge of the area clattering the upright and falling kindly to Kerr to convert and claim three points.

LFC Women: Kirby, Koivisto, Roberts, Matthews, Bonner, Hinds, Taylor (Robe, 68), Kearns (Humphrey, 82), Holland (Lundgaard, 60), Van de Sanden (Stengel, 68), Dowie.

Unused subs: Laws, Cumings.