Toone’s effort was United’s 10th to Liverpool’s two by that point in the game and the domination continued when Zelem slid a perfect pass into the penalty area behind the centre-backs, giving Galton another sight of goal. The United no.11’s first touch was unusually a fraction too heavy, enabling Preuss to race from her line and smother the ball on a surface soaked by several downpours.



The vocal home fans could sense the goal was coming and it duly arrived in the 71st minute when last season’s top scorer Sigsworth showed her awareness inside the box to feed James, and the teenager calmly evaded a sliding tackle as she cut inside on to her left foot and fired past Preuss.



It was no more than United deserved and Liverpool had little to offer in the way of a response as they stared a fourth straight defeat in the face. Instead, it was the hosts who nearly went further in front when hitting the bar twice in a matter of seconds - firstly with Galton's far-post header, from Hayley Ladd's right-wing cross, and then with Toone's volley on the rebound.

