Aston Villa earn valuable win at Liverpool

The victory marks Aston Villa's first win in the WSL since December

A late own goal gave Aston Villa a potentially priceless win against Liverpool in their bid to avoid relegation from the Women's Super League.

Liverpool's Marie Hobinger converted a second-half penalty before Villa levelled through substitute Kirsty Hanson and Jenna Clark diverted a cross into her own net.

Liverpool came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Sophie Haug forced Sabrina D'Angelo to claw away her header, before Jasmine Matthews put the rebound over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Lucy Staniforth - making her first start for Villa since December because of injury - smashed an effort over the bar following the visitor's only attack of note before the break.

Mistakes have cost Villa too often this season and that was again the case at St Helens Stadium.

Ceri Holland was afforded the freedom of the Villa half to bear down on goal but was brought down by D'Angelo, allowing Hobinger to stroke the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.

Villa had more of the ball and almost hit back immediately, but Rachael Laws denied Chasity Grant after a Maz Pacheco cross found its way to the back post.

The visitor's persistence paid off 10 minutes later when substitute Hanson latched on to a pin-point Missy Bo Kearns ball over the top, rounded Laws and squeezed her finish past two players on the goalline.

Villa continued to push and were rewarded when Ebony Salmon's low cross was converted past her own goalkeeper by Liverpool substitute Clark.

Villa now have a four-point buffer on bottom-side Crystal Palace, who were beaten by Arsenal, and ended their seven game winless run in the WSL.

Manager Natalia Arroyo, who replaced interim boss Shaun Goater in January, earned her first win at the sixth time of asking.

"Today we showed the kind of team we can be – brave, aggressive, and that can deal with a goal when they concede which is the only mistake we made," said Arroyo.

"The faith that we showed was amazing, I'm very, very happy for them."

Villa have lift off under Arroyo

It was a long time coming, but finally Arroyo has her first win as Aston Villa boss.

Before the game, the Spaniard said her players "need to deal" with the reality of being in a relegation fight, but for a while on Sunday it looked as though those words would come back to haunt her.

Liverpool posed much more of a threat for the first hour and could have scored more, but what was impressive was the way Villa gathered themselves and fought back.

Bo Kearns' ball over the top of the Liverpool defence was arguably one of the best assists of the season, while Hanson showed real composure and poise to convert after rounding Laws.

Not content with settling for a point, Arroyo's side fired several warning shots before Clark turned Salmon's dangerous ball across the face of goal past her own goalkeeper.

The joyous celebrations of Arroyo and her staff at the full-time whistle highlighted the stresses and strains they have been under in recent months.

Though the winning goal was fortunate, it was no less than Villa deserved.

Lots for Whiteley to ponder

Amber Whiteley began her spell as Liverpool interim boss with two league wins and an FA Cup quarter-final victory against Arsenal, but will now have to pick her side up from back-to-back WSL defeats.

Earlier in the week she spoke of the club's aim to achieve a fifth-place finish, though they missed the chance to leapfrog Brighton.

Liverpool appeared to run out of steam as the game progressed and Villa pushed, and once again made life difficult for themselves at the back.

A third own goal in two games is far from ideal, neither is the lack of communication that resulted in Hanson peeling off the back of the defence to score.

Now the euphoria of victories against Arsenal and Manchester United has subsided, Liverpool must regroup and get the basics right before they face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on 12 April.

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