Report: Durham 1 United Women 5

Manchester United made it two wins from two in the Subway Players Cup on Wednesday evening, following a commanding 5-1 victory over Durham at the Wolf Competitions Stadium.

Eva Olid made eight changes to her starting XI from Sunday’s first league win of the season, over West Ham United, and fielded a squad full of youth. United finished the game with six Academy graduates on the pitch, including first-team debutant Lucy Newell, who was introduced for her senior bow in the second half.

Rebeca Bernal grabbed her third goal of the competition when she opened the scoring with a looping effort on the 11th minute, before a long-range free-kick from Durham’s Lucy Watson levelled things up just eight minutes later.

United retook the lead 12 minutes into the second half courtesy of a well-taken free-kick from Dominique Janssen, before a first goal in United colours for Monica Jusu Bah, a close-range strike from Mared Griffiths and a composed finish from Elisabeth Terland put the game out of sight for the hosts.

FIRST HALF

United started the game the brighter of the two sides in South Shields. Simi Awujo went close with eight minutes on the clock when she connected with a low ball in from the left-hand side and struck a first-time effort goalwards, which was somehow kept out by Anna King in the Durham net.

Olid’s side were rewarded for our early pressure as we took the lead just three minutes later. Jess Simpson’s in-swinging corner from the right hand side caused problems for the home side as Bernal connected and looped an effort above their defenders, which couldn’t be cleared and dropped into the back of the net.

Reds goalkeeper Janina Leitzig was forced into her first action of the evening when she had to tip Grace Ede’s powerful shot onto the crossbar from close range. The resultant corner posed little threat, as Leitzig rose highest to claim inside the area.

It wasn’t long before the hosts hit back however, as a 35-yard free-kick from Watson levelled things just shy of the 20th minute. The Barnsley-born forward took aim with a low effort, which fooled everyone and snuck into the bottom left corner of Leitzig’s net.

The Reds looked to get back in front soon after. An impressive run through the middle saw goalscorer Bernal slip a well-placed ball in behind for the run of Ellen Wangerheim. The 22-year-old forward looked to smash a low effort into the net, but saw the strike smothered by the Durham goalkeeper and cleared.

Pressure continued to mount on the hosts’ defence as United forced corner after corner. An in-swinger from the left-hand side posed a threat when Lea Schuller rose highest in the area to connect with the set-piece. Despite this, she couldn’t keep her effort low enough, as she headed over on 38 minutes.

A good move down the right-hand side saw Awujo push through challenges and break into the penalty area before delivering a low ball into the feet of Jusu Bah, with her back to goal. Jusu Bah laid the ball off to Simpson, who took a touch to open her body up and hit a curled effort with her left foot towards goal. The strike took a deflection on the way through and went behind for a corner.

How United took the lead at Durham

How United took the lead at Durham

SECOND HALF

United mirrored our opening pressure from the first half at the beginning of the second, as Jusu Bah’s low ball into the front post found the feet of Schuller. She struck a first-time effort towards the bottom left corner, but couldn’t get the power required as the ball was swept up by King.

Further pressure from the Reds saw near identical chances for both Schuller and Wangerheim drop just wide of the right post, before Griffiths’s strike from distance was again dealt with by the Durham shot-stopper, who managed to push the ball over the bar.

The lead was restored 12 minutes into the second period via a brilliantly taken free-kick from Janssen. A foul on Jusu Bah 25 yards from goal won the set-piece, as Janssen stepped up and fired an effort over the wall and into the back of the net despite King’s best efforts in the Durham net.

The Reds found our third goal of the evening 10 minutes later, when Jusu Bah got her first for the club with a tidy finish. A quick pass over to the right-hand side from Simpson found the Swedish forward in space, which she used to drive across the edge of the penalty area. She struck a left-footed effort and found the bottom left corner to give us a two-goal cushion.

Jusu Bah went close to making it 4-1 immediately after, but was, on this occasion, thwarted by King, who had closed the forward down and managed to get her right leg in the way of the effort.

There were just three minutes of normal time left to play when United grabbed our fourth goal of the game, this time coming from last week’s hat-trick goalscorer, Griffiths. A low ball across the box found the Welsh international unmarked, and she dispatched a first-time effort into the back of the net, leaving King with little she could do.

It was five not long after, as a flashed ball across goal from substitute attacker, Terland managed to sneak its way through the crowded box of Durham defenders and into the bottom right corner of the net, to round off the evening’s proceedings.

United remain top of the Subway Players Cup table with a +13 goal difference after just two games in the competition. Olid’s side are back in league action on Saturday as we host WSL rivals Liverpool at the Progress With Unity Stadium.

What a free-kick from Dom Janssen!

What a free-kick from Dom Janssen!

MATCH DETAILS

Durham: King; Ayre, S. Wilson (c), McComasky, Brown; Stobbs (Morran 46), Hepple, Watson (Collinson 71); Ede (Lowe 65), Pennock (Hutchinson 71), Briggs (E. Wilson 65).

Subs not used: Davies, Sheppard, Bradley.

Booked: Briggs.

Goal: Watson 19

United: Leitzig; Lundkvist (Hill 62), Le Tissier (c), Janssen (Newell 75), Simpson; Bernal, Awujo; Jusu Bah (Anderson 82), Wangerheim (Terland 62), Griffiths; Schuller (Drury 75).

Subs not used: Mitchell, Sandberg, Miyazawa, Toone.

Goals: Bernal 11, Janssen 58, Jusu Bah 68, Griffiths 87, Terland 90.

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