Ella Toone scored a hat-trick on her return to WSL action as Manchester United Women punished sloppy errors from Manchester City Women by winning 4-2 in a pulsating Manchester derby.
Toone missed games in November and December with a calf injury, and continued her scoring return to form with a remarkable hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium.
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Ella Toone gave Man Utd an early lead over Man City
Man Utd were sharper from the start and Toone made it count with her 14th-minute opener. Elisabeth Terland miscued her strike, but the England midfielder was lurking to tuck home. Leah Galton (21) then doubled the lead soon after, turning home from close range as Man City failed to clear a corner.
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Manchester City failed to clear from a corner and Leah Galton slammed home from two-yards out
Gareth Taylor’s side continued to struggle, with a poorly placed pass out from the back – coming mere seconds after another had seen Terland almost score – allowed Toone to net her second (36). She latched on to a loose pass before simply tapping home past England team-mate Khiara Keating.
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Ella Toone scored her second goal of the game after some sloppy play from Manchester City
But it looked like the recovery was on at the end of the first half as Man City struck twice to bring the scoreline back to 3-2. Vivianne Miedema (40) – herself returning to league action from injury – nodded home from a Mary Fowler cross, before Rebecca Knaak (45+3) scored her first WSL goal since joining the club a few weeks ago.
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Vivianne Miedema nodded Mary Fowler’s cross beyond Phallon Tullis-Joyce
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Rebecca Knaak beat both Man Utd players to the ball and loopped a header into the far corner
However, 10 seconds after the restart, another moment to forget for Keating allowed Toone to complete her hat-trick. The goalkeeper lingered too long on the ball from the kick-off, with a deflection landing in Toone’s path. She won the footrace against Keating and slotted into an open net.
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Ella Toone completed her hat-trick in the Manchester derby straight from the kick-off in the second half
For all of their errors at one end, Man City racked up the shots and chances in a dominant second half. However, some inspired moments from Phallon Tullis-Joyce kept them from mounting a true comeback.
It is Man Utd’s first away win in the Manchester derby, and it sends them above Man City into third place in the WSL table. Taylor’s side – who have now lost back-to-back games in the WSL – drop into fourth place, two points from the Champions League places.