By Connor Armstrong at The Hive
SUMMARY
Danielle Carter scored twice in a dramatic to-and-fro encounter with Liverpool Ladies, which ended 4-4 at The Hive on Thursday night.
The Reds took the lead through Alex Greenwood, before Chloe Kelly levelled the scores.
Natasha Harding and Caroline Weir then secured the visitors a 3-1 lead going into the interval.
The second half saw two strikes from Carter and one from Jordan Nobbs, as Pedro Martinez Losa’s side surged into the lead with 10 minutes to play.
However, Gemma Bonner’s late header from a corner meant the spoils were shared.
SETTING THE SCENE
Losa once again used the Spring Series as an opportunity to hand opportunities to development squad graduates.
Lotte Wubben-Moy, Anna Patten and Kelly all started.
Sari van Veenendaal started in goal, with Alex Scott, Dominique Janssen and full debutant Louise Quinn completing the back four.
Leah Williamson was named alongside Nobbs in midfield, as was Danielle van de Donk. Carter led our attack.
FIRST HALF
It was the visitors who made the more impressive start at the Hive, something they were duly rewarded for - albeit fortuitously - when Greenwood’s corner went straight into Van Veenendaal’s net.
We then began to pose Liverpool problems as a result of high, intense pressing, ultimately forcing an error which enabled Kelly to turn the ball home from close range.
However, with half-time drawing nearer, disaster struck. Harding added a second for the visitors before Weir’s header beat Van Veenendaal.
SECOND HALF
Those frustrating final five minutes at the end of the first half meant that Losa’s side had it all to do in the second - but we made a perfect start.
Carter thumped the ball home from distance to reduce the deficit, before the introduction of Jodie Taylor and Heather O’Reilly added to the attacking impetus.
Carter levelled the scores just six minutes after opening her tally for the Spring Series with another well-struck effort.
Nobbs powered the ball home to score what many would’ve expected to be the game’s final goal, before Bonner issued an immediate reply to ensure the points were shared.
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