RACHEL DALY lauded Aston Villa’s large sport mentality as they dealt an early blow to Manchester City’s title hunt in a seven-goal thriller.
An aesthetic brace from the WSL ace helped Carla Ward’s battlers seal a 4-3 win on a disappointing afternoon for City.
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Villa followers who adopted the Lionesses’ Euros heroics and are used to seeing Daly as a full-back, got a glimpse of her deadly prowess in assault.
And the previous Houston Dash striker didn’t disappoint with Ward’s battlers on music as they dispatched giants City.
After the match, Daly stated: “I’d have been completely satisfied to take the one aim however two was clearly nicer,
“Most importantly, we bought the win on our house turf and defended the lead.
“It was a aggravating little bit of a interval once we went down 3-2 however then we got here again in a giant sport with a giant win and that is a tough factor to do.
“It took energy and character and resilience to return again from taking place after being forward.
“City are a improbable crew and we knew it wasn’t going be straightforward.
“But we wished to be courageous, take dangers and make it a tough place for them to play.”
Before the sport, Villa had misplaced their 4 earlier top-tier battles with City conceding 17 objectives in complete.
But this time round their crew – which included summer time signings Kenza Dali, Danielle Turner and mortgage aces Kirsty Hanson and Anna Patten – introduced an finish to that run.
Hanson, on mortgage from Manchester United, proved to be an issue for her markers together with her highly effective drives in the direction of the field.
The Scotland ace’s seventh-minute drive on the counter led to Mayumi Pacheco’s cross discovering Daly with the ahead heading the ball off track.
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The impasse was finally damaged when Alisha Lehmann, in certainly one of her finest shifts in a Villa shirt, fired the hosts in entrance within the 22nd minute.
Later Villa doubled their lead near the half-hour mark with Daly curling in an excellent high nook strike.
City regarded to hit again with Chloe Kelly testing Hannah Hampton from distance within the 34th minute.
And skipper Steph Houghton, returning to WSL motion after a prolonged harm absence, noticed her shot saved moments later.
Laura Coombs gave the guests hope pulling a aim again near half-time after an error from keeper Hannah Hampton.
The second spell noticed City take a dramatic 3-2 lead with two objectives in two minutes.
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First with Khadija Shaw levelling proceedings within the 53rd minute earlier than Coombs struck once more powering a excessive shot house.
But Villa refused to offer in with Dali latching on to a sloppy move from Houghton and thumping in an equaliser.
And Daly wrapped up a dream debut and residential win sealing her brace with a tap-in following a blistering counter.
Ward, whose facet play Leicester subsequent, stated: “Rachel performed as a 9 at Houston.
“I’ve truly seen a little bit of criticism with questions of can she play there? Absolutely she will.
“If she will do this towards Manchester City, she will do it towards any crew within the league.”
We’ve bought to roll our sleeves up and go once more as a result of this might be nothing if we do not go and get three factors this weekend
Carla Ward
Following the win, Ward added: “It will solely be a press release victory if we are able to again it up.
“I stated to the group on the finish, I’ll give them the plaudits.
“But then I in a short time stated, ‘look, you possibly can get pleasure from it tonight. But Tuesday morning, we have got to roll the sleeves up and go once more’.
This might be nothing if we do not go and get three factors subsequent week.
“We’ve bought to make certain that it isn’t only one large efficiency. We’ve bought to proceed to kick on.
“We’ve bought to roll our sleeves up and go once more as a result of this might be nothing if we do not go and get three factors this coming weekend.”
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City, who’re in transition with a number of new gamers arriving this summer time, face a stiff check away towards champions Chelsea this Sunday
Club boss Gareth Taylor stated: “We know as a crew we’ll rating objectives.
“To come away from a sport after scoring three and never take something is irritating.
“But that is soccer, and it occurs, you see outcomes like this and it is typically it is tough to manage, however we should be higher in controlling these moments.”