Match reportLate Gemma Bonner winner sees Liverpool beat Bristol City in Women's FA Cup
A dramatic late goal from Gemma Bonner fired 10-player Liverpool FC Women into the fifth round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup with a 1-0 win against Bristol City Women at Ashton Gate.
The Reds’ record appearance holder came to the rescue five minutes from time after midfielder Ceri Holland was sent off with half an hour still to play.
Bonner lashed home a low shot to clinch victory after Bristol failed to clear a superb corner delivered by substitute Missy Bo Kearns.
She made two more crucial blocks to see Liverpool home and into Monday’s draw for the next round.
The late drama belied a fairly quiet first half, with both sides rather cancelling each other out and the effects of almost a month without a game perhaps evident.
What opportunities there were amounted to half-chances, Teagan Micah in the Reds’ goal punching a corner away well after 10 minutes, before gathering a low cross under pressure when it was recycled into the box.
Melissa Lawley began to get on the ball for the visitors and put in a couple of searching crosses but, in the absence of striker Sophie Roman Haug, none found a taker in the middle.
Matt Beard’s side were generally in control of possession but loose passes around their own box from Marie Höbinger and later Grace Fisk gave the hosts hope that their tenacity in pressing might pay off.
Bristol won several corners just before the break, with Emily Syme heading straight at Micah with the best of them but it was a half where defences were well on top.
PHOTOS
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Natasha Flint arrived from the bench for the second half as Liverpool looked to establish more of a bridgehead in the opposition box but it hadn’t really happened by the time a huge blow was received on the hour mark.
Holland caught her Wales international teammate Carrie Jones late and, having picked up a yellow card for a drag back in the first half, received a second to reduce Liverpool to 10 players.
It was always going to be difficult from there with several big blocks needed to stop Bristol taking the lead, the likes of Shanice van de Sanden and Höbinger throwing their bodies on the line to keep the clean sheet intact.
Liverpool needed a moment and it arrived with five minutes left.
Kearns swung over a dangerous corner and the ball dropped to Bonner, who rifled home a low drive much to the delight of the Reds fans among the 2,563-strong crowd.
Bonner made two more big blocks near her own goal, and Jasmine Matthews weighed in with another, as Bristol chased a leveller, with even their goalkeeper Shae Yanez winning a big header in the Liverpool box.
Beard’s team hung on, though, and it will be their name in the hat for the fifth-round draw.
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TEAM
Liverpool: Micah, Koivisto, Hinds (Matthews, 59), Clark, Bonner, Fisk (Kearns, 66), Holland, Höbinger (Lundgaard, 80), Enderby (Flint, 46), Nagano, Lawley (Van de Sanden, 59).
Unused subs: Laws, Fahey, Parry, Taylor.
NEXT UP
Liverpool’s next game sees them return to Barclays Women’s Super League action with a trip to Manchester City Women on Sunday January 21 (2.30pm GMT kick-off).
Before then, the Reds will discover their FA Cup fifth-round opponents when the draw is made on Monday evening. Ties are scheduled to be played on the weekend of February 10 and 11.