City edged out in Conti Cup semis

Lauren James’ deflected effort inside eight minutes proved the difference between the two sides in a match which City will feel could’ve had a different outcome on another day.

Gareth Taylor’s side controlled large spells of the contest, particularly in a second half where Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Lauren Hemp forced fine saves from Hannah Hampton.

But it wasn’t to be for City, who now need to regroup for an important FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

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What happened

Just as we had in the league fixture between the two sides back in February, City started brightly and were the first to have a sight of goal.

It came inside four minutes on a bitterly cold Manchester evening, when Hemp won the ball on the left flank and clipped a dangerous ball into Shaw, whose header flashed just wide of the mark.

But in an almost carbon copy of the clash at Kingsmeadow, it was the visitors who took an early lead.

Pouncing on a loose ball out from the back, Chelsea sprung into life on the counter, with Mayra Ramirez finding Lauren James on the left of the City box.

And the England international’s effort took a deflection, wrong-footing Keating and finding the bottom corner at the goalkeeper’s near-post.

It could’ve been two soon after when Chelsea regained possession inside the City area, but Ramirez’s goal bound effort on the cutback was blocked by Alex Greenwood.

Taylor’s side, searching for a 13th successive victory in all competitions, regrouped after that scare, with Lauren Hemp skipping away from Sjoeke Nusken and firing just over the bar to get the home crowd on their feet.

Despite enjoying plenty of the ball, City were struggling to threaten the Chelsea goal, with a timely interception preventing Chloe Kelly from tapping home after Shaw had won back possession from Jess Carter.

At the other end, Laia Aleixandri was in the right place at the right time to deflect a near-post Nusken header around the post from a corner moments later.

Just as we had in the first half, City were quick out of the traps in the second 45.

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Shaw continued to cause the Chelsea defence problems when given space to drive forward, and she stung the palms of Hannah Hampton inside five minutes of the restart.

The visiting goalkeeper was called into action again soon after, pulling off an impressive reaction save to deny Hemp what looked like the equaliser after the winger had fired back across goal from Park’s cross.

City were gaining a foothold, and once again went close just before the hour when Shaw’s chipped pass to Hemp was cut out at the last second after Laura Coombs had won the ball deep in the Chelsea half.

Shaw forced another fine save from Hampton with a vicious effort across goal soon after, but the equaliser continued to allude us despite City being the dominant force.

Chelsea’s first sight of goal in the second half didn’t come until the 78th minute when James looked to lob Khiara Keating after the goalkeeper had hesitated coming off her line.

The England international’s claims that a deflection from the rapidly retreating Aleixandri had been handled fell on deaf ears.

From the resultant corner, substitute Sophie Ingle fired a volley just over the City box after we’d cleared the initial cross, but Taylor’s side were back on the front foot almost instantly.

Deep into stoppage time and Aleixandri saw a header cleared off the line, before Greenwood went down in the Chelsea box in the same passage of play.

Despite heavy protests from the City players, nothing was given and we were consigned to a frustrating defeat, ending a 12-match unbeaten run in the process.

How we lined up

Gareth Taylor named an unchanged side from the team who beat Everton on Saturday, meaning Khiara Keating was shielded by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Laia Aleixandri, Alex Greenwood and Leila Ouahabi.

Yui Hasegawa, Jess Park and Laura Coombs made up the midfield three, with Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp starting on the flanks.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw began the match as City’s centre-forward.

CITY XI: Keating, Casparij, Aleixandri, Greenwood (C), Ouahabi (Fowler 76’), Hasegawa, Park, Coombs (Angeldahl 80’), Kelly, Shaw, Hemp.

Subs: MacIver, Stokes, Houghton, Morgan, Mace, Kennedy.

CHELSEA XI: Hampton, Perisset, Carter, Nusken, Charles, Leupolz, Cuthbert (C), Cankovic (Ingle 77’), Reiten (Rytting Kaneryd 64’), James, Ramirez (Beever-Jones 34’).

Subs: Musovic, Macario, Kirby, Hamano, Berger.

Up next

Our attention turn to the FA Cup at the weekend, with City travelling down to Brisbane Road in the quarter-finals.

Kick-off is set for 15:00 (UK) on Sunday 10 March as we set our sights on a place in the last four.