Liverpool 0-2 Leicester: Jutta Rantala double fires Foxes into first Women's FA Cup semi-final
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Women's FA Cup quarter-finals: Leicester beat Liverpool 2-0 to make history
Jutta Rantala scored twice as Leicester City beat Liverpool to secure a place in the Women's FA Cup semi-finals for the first time.
The hosts dominated possession and chances in the opening stages at Prenton Park, but were not as clinical as the Foxes in front of goal.
Finland midfielder Rantala was quickest to react to a rebound for the opener, smashing the ball into the bottom corner after Janice Cayman had gone close with a curling shot off the left-hand post.
Liverpool, without a home win since mid-November, pushed forward in search of an equaliser but the Foxes remained resolute and maintained their narrow lead at half-time.
Midway through the second half Leicester punished Liverpool's wastefulness once more as Rantala led a counter-attack before crashing home her second goal off the crossbar from the edge of the box.
Liverpool boss Matt Beard brought on fresh legs in a bid to get back in the game, but the Reds were unable to turn their dominance with the ball into goals.
Assistant manager Jennifer Foster and first-team coach Stephen Kirby took charge of the Foxes, with manager Willie Kirk not on the touchline because he is "assisting the club with an internal process".
On a historic day for the Foxes, Foster said her side "got what they deserved".
"I said to the players before the game, if we execute what we need to and do it in the way we know we can we know we'll get the result we deserve - and we did," she told the BBC.
"We know our strengths and we knew what strengths Liverpool had. It was really key for us defensively that we were landing on the first and second balls and trying to limit as many shots as they could have.
"There were one or two moments where we lapsed in concentration and they almost capitalised but that was the wake-up call we needed and we shifted up a gear. I can't fault the players for everything they've done today - I thought they were fantastic."
With Liverpool's hopes of winning silverware this season now over, Beard told BBC Sport about his disappointment.
"For whatever reason it just didn't click," he said. "I felt we were in control of the game in the first half, especially after the first 10 minutes, but our passing wasn't good enough today. At home we do well, so for us not to perform today, especially in a cup quarter-final, is disappointing.
"Whenever we've had a negative result we've always bounced back and done well. Obviously it's frustrating because you want to progress in the competition, but you've got to give Leicester credit today. They deserve to win and we got what we deserved."