Report & Highlights: Palace Women lose away at Manchester United

Summary:

• Swaby is handed her WSL debut in the heart of defence, while Larisey gets her first start for Palace
• 09 – GOAL: A poor pass is picked up by Miyazawa, and Terland is put through to open the scoring for the hosts
• 11: Gejl heads just wide after meeting a deflected cross from Cato
• 14: Terland is denied her second goal of the game via the right post
• 38 – GOAL: A wonderful dinked through-ball finds Gejl, who lifts the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 1-1
• 42: Swaby heads the ball off of the line to prevent United from getting a lead before the break
• 45+1: Terland gets in behind but a heroic tackle from Veje stops her before she can get a shot away
• HT: Man Utd 1-1 Palace
• 52: Majasaari spills the ball but successive blocks from Swaby prevent Palace from going behind
• 64 – GOAL: A very fortunate deflection falls to Terland whose shot trickles over the line
• 75: Cato has her effort cleared off of the line after the United goalkeeper makes a mess of the cross
• 78: Bizet's header flashes wide after a great cross from Sandberg
• 85 – GOAL: Clinton nods home from a brilliant free-kick to seal the points for United
• FT: Man Utd 3-1 Palace

It was another strong away performance which unfortunately yielded no points as Palace lost 3-1 away at Leigh Sports Village.

Head coach Laura Kaminski handed starts to January signings Allyson Swaby and Clarissa Larisey, with the former making her WSL debut and the latter getting her first start for Palace.

After Elisabeth Terland's early goal, Mille Gejl managed to score a wonderfully worked equaliser on 38 minutes, but second-half goals from Terland and Grace Clinton consigned Palace to defeat in Manchester.

The hosts opened the scoring in the eighth minute, after Milla-Maj Majasaari's goal-kick was intercepted by Hinata Miyazawa, who then found Terland in space.

The Norway international received the ball and placed her shot into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to Manchester United.

Just six minutes later and Terland nearly got her second of the game, but her effort was denied by the right post of Majasaari's goal.

Despite the early United pressure, Kaminski's team rallied and got their equaliser on 38 minutes, thanks to Mille Gejl's third goal of the season.

Lily Woodham clipped a fantastic ball over the United defence to Gejl, who took a touch and then lifted her effort over Phallon Tullis-Joyce to make it 1-1.

The home team increased the pressure and tried to find a second goal before the half-time whistle but resolute defending from WSL debutant Swaby ensured that Palace went into the break level.

Palace started the second-half in the same way they ended the first, but fortune eluded the Eagles once again on 63 minutes.

Ella Toone's pass took a wicked deflection and rebounded directly into the feet of Terland, who rounded Majasaari and passed into an open net to put the hosts in front.

The Eagles pushed for a second equaliser, with My Cato having her shot blocked on the line after Tullis-Joyce made a mess of a cross on 75 minutes.

Then on 85 minutes, Anna Sandberg delivered a fantastic cross into the box and the ball was headed home by Clinton to seal the victory for the hosts.

This result leaves Palace bottom of the league with six points, with WSL home games against Liverpool and Aston Villa awaiting the team after the February international break.

You can get tickets for both of those games here!

United: Tullis-Joyce (GK), George (Sandberg, 63), Le Tissier, Toone, Clinton, Galton, Riviere, (Mannion, 83) Janssen, Terland, Miyazawa, (Bizet, 72), Turner.

Subs not used: Middleton-Patel (GK), Awujo, Geyse, Malard, Williams.

Palace: Majasaari (GK), Riley (Öling, 76), Veje, Swaby, Green, (Sharpe, 84), Woodham, Weerden, Potter, Cato, Larisey (Blanchard, 76), Gejl (Hughes, 76).

Subs not used: Yañez (GK), Gibbons, Arthur, Larkin, Atkinson.