Blackburn hit for six as City make perfect Conti Cup start

Hayley Raso opened the scoring, with Mary Fowler netting a brace either side of Vicky Losada‘s strike. A Julie Blakstad double rounded off a fantastic start in the League Cup.

The 6-0 success extended our winning steak to three consecutive matches as we build momentum for the busy winter schedule.

And a memorable evening was rounded off by a number of first team debuts, with Sandy MacIver, Annie Hutchings, Gracie Prior, Lois Marley-Paraskevas and Emma Siddall all making their bows for the Club.

WHAT HAPPENED

We came into the match 16 places above our Championship opposition and our quality in possession was on show early on.

But the visitors were defending valiantly, with Leila Ouahabi‘s dangerous cross along the face of goal our best early chance.

The deadlock would eventually be broken 16 minutes in though, when Hayley Raso drove into the box and fired the ball into the bottom corner to secure her first goal of the season in her maiden start of the campaign.

City came into the League Cup clash on the back of consecutive league victories, and our confidence on the pitch was apparent to those in attendance as we pushed for a second.

In what was her 215th appearance for the Club, captain Steph Houghton was next to test the abilities of Alex Brooks as the England international’s well-struck free-kick was held by the goalkeeper.

Shortly after, we were inches from doubling our advantage when Kerstin Casparij collected the ball from just outside the box and drilled a venomous effort off the foot of the post.

With seven minutes of the first half remaining though the second would arrive when Blakstad was brought down inside the six-yard box.

Fowler stepped up to do the honours and coolly slotted her first goal for City into the back of the net from 12 yards.

Number three would follow just before the break, when Esme Morgan and Casparij combined, before the right-back found Losada with a delicious cross.

And the Spaniard showcased her aerial ability to rise highest and power a header past a routed Brooks.

Immediately after half-time City welcomed a new debutant as Annie Hutchings replaced Casparij.

The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with City enjoying the majority of possession but waiting patiently to strike at the Blackburn goal.

But it was the visitors, with their first sight of goal, who went closes in the early stages when Millie Chandarana broke free before slowing down and allowing us to get back into position and snuff out the danger.

We were back on the offensive straight away and it was Raso who was causing most of the problems once again, weaving down the wing and whipping a dangerous ball into the box which Blakstad unfortunately turned wide of the post from close range.

However, a fourth would follow when Fowler doubled her City account when she reached a delightful Losada flick over the defence to fire low past Brooks.

The Australian international was then poised to score a hat-trick when she nicked the ball inside the box, shaped to shoot in front of goal but squared it to Jemima Dahou instead who saw her shot blocked before Losada’s effort suffered the same fate.

Prior and Marley-Paraskevas were the next to be handed their first appearances for the Club by Taylor with just shy of 10 minutes remaining.

And the latter made quite the introduction with one her first touches of the ball by threading an eye of the needle pass across the goal to find Blakstad, who tapped home a fifth.

The Norwegian would then round off the scoring late on with another close-range finish, while there was also still time for Siddall to make her debut on a great night for City and our Academy.

WHAT IT MEANS

Following victory at the CFA, we climb to second in the group, leapfrogging Leicester following their defeat to Liverpool.

HOW WE LINED UP

Sandy McIver made her first appearance of the season between the sticks, shielded by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes and Leila Ouahabi.

Esme Morgan was installed in defensive midfield behind Vicky Losada and Filippa Angeldahl.

The front three consisted of Julie Blakstad on the left, Mary Fowler through the middle and Hayaley Raso on the right.

City XI: Sandy McIver, Kerstin Casparij (Dahou 46’) Steph Houghton (c), Demi Stokes (Prior 81’), Leila Ouahabi, Esme Morgan (Hutchings 46’), Filippa Angeldahl, Vicky Losada (Siddall 86’), Hayley Raso, Julie Blakstad, Mary Fowler (Marley-Paraskevas 81’)

Subs: Khiara Keating, Katie Ramsden

Blackburn Rovers Ladies XI: Alex Brooks, Chloe Dixon, Natasha Fenton (c) (Crompton 84’), Helen Seed, Kayleigh McDonald, Ellie Leek, Evie Smith, Chloe Williams (Jordan 63’), Lauren Thomas (Hornby 46), Niamh Murray, Nicola Worthington (Chandarana 46’)

Subs: Shonall Salgado, Hannah Coan, Jade Richards, Faith Nokuthula,

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Mary Folwer

Expert movement and clinical finishing to match, Fowler comfortably filled the void left by a rested Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw up front.

She secured her first two goals for the Club, the first from the penalty spot, and the second a calm finish in the second half.

UP NEXT

City are back in Barclays Women’s Super League action on Sunday as we welcome newly-promoted Liverpool to the CFA.

Kick off is scheduled for 14:00pm (UK) on Sunday 30 October and is available to watch on City+ and Recast!

You can also buy tickets for the WSL clash here!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RECAST: https://www.mancity.com/club/partners/recast

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CITY+ : https://www.mancity.com/city-plus