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England forward Rachel Daly and Alisha Lehmann both struck twice as clinical Aston Villa put the Women’s Super League’s bottom side Leicester to the sword at Villa Park.
In front of a lively crowd of 6,489 – just shy of Villa’s record attendance for a women’s game – Daly took her tally for the season to 13 WSL goals, just two behind the league’s top scorer, Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.
Kenza Dali found the bottom corner from 20 yards to put Villa ahead and Lehmann produced a controlled first-time finish from Kirsty Hanson’s low cross to double the lead.
Daly then continued her bid for the WSL’s Golden Boot as she robbed Sophie Howard to roll home Villa’s third and, after the interval, steered Lehmann’s inviting low centre beyond Janina Leitzig.
She then turned provider for Villa’s fifth with a clever reverse pass that freed Maz Pacheco to cross for Lehmann to bundle home her second as the fifth-placed hosts registered a fourth straight WSL win.
The margin of defeat was harsh on Leicester but the WSL’s lowest scorers were made to pay for a wasteful first half in which they spurned several chances, with the loss leaving them two points from safety.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Aston Villa Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Hampton
- 28Rabjohn
- 15Patten
- 14Turner
- 33Pacheco
- 10DaliSubstituted forMullettat 85′minutes
- 12StaniforthSubstituted forBlindkildeat 60′minutes
- 88Nobbs
- 7LehmannSubstituted forKeitleyat 90′minutes
- 8Daly
- 20HansonSubstituted forGregoryat 60′minutes
Substitutes
- 11Boye-Hlorkah
- 18Gregory
- 19Blindkilde
- 21Leat
- 24Keitley
- 35Mullett
- 36Shaw
- 37Tucker
Leicester City Women
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 33Leitzig
- 4BottSubstituted forEaton-Collinsat 70′minutes
- 15Howard
- 22PlumptreSubstituted forPurfieldat 70′minutes
- 2Nevin
- 3TierneySubstituted forSiemsenat 70′minutes
- 30Mace
- 10Whelan
- 14GreenSubstituted forPikeat 70′minutes
- 16Jones
- 21CainSubstituted forGoodwinat 75′minutes
Substitutes
- 6Eaton-Collins
- 8Pike
- 19Siemsen
- 20Goodwin
- 23Purfield
- 28Levell
- 32Baker
- 40Robinson
- 41Reavill
- Referee:
- Jane Simms
- Attendance:
- 6,489
Live Text
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Match ends, Aston Villa Women 5, Leicester City Women 0.
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Second Half ends, Aston Villa Women 5, Leicester City Women 0.
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Aileen Whelan (Leicester City Women) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Laura Blindkilde (Aston Villa Women).
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Sophie Howard (Leicester City Women).
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Sophie Howard (Leicester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Freya Gregory (Aston Villa Women).
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Georgia Eaton-Collins (Leicester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Freya Gregory (Aston Villa Women).
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Corner, Aston Villa Women. Conceded by Janina Leitzig.
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Attempt saved. Georgia Mullett (Aston Villa Women) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Hand ball by Carrie Jones (Leicester City Women).
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Substitution, Aston Villa Women. Alice Keitley replaces Alisha Lehmann.
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Offside, Aston Villa Women. Georgia Mullett tries a through ball, but Rachel Daly is caught offside.
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Foul by Carrie Jones (Leicester City Women).
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Evie Rabjohn (Aston Villa Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Ruby Mace (Leicester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jemma Purfield.
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Substitution, Aston Villa Women. Georgia Mullett replaces Kenza Dali.
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Attempt missed. Danielle Turner (Aston Villa Women) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Kenza Dali with a cross following a corner.
