Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool earned just their second win of the season on the strength of a first half brace by captain Taylor Hinds. The Reds conceded early in the second half, but held on to take all of the points.

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Liverpool

Aston Villa: Nunes 49’

Liverpool: Hinds 26’, 43’

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Pre-Match

The Liverpool FC Women have travelled to the midlands to take on Aston Villa in the first match back after the international break. The Reds are looking to shake off a frustrating opening series of fixtures that saw them drop leads and take draws against several sides Matt Beard and the squad would have expected to take all three points against.

Aston Villa, who revamped their squad over the summer, have also not been able to find their groove, taking only two points over their opening five fixtures. Scouser Missy Bo Kearns is one of the players who moved to the Villans this summer, will face her childhood club for the first time today.

Sophie Roman Haug is out of action for the next 4-6 weeks, so Leanne Kiernan gets her first league start of the season in her stead. Grace Fisk also makes her first start of the season after returning from injury, and she will step into the right wing back spot in place of Lucy Parry. Ceri Holland is also back to full fitness after a stint out with injury, allowing Matt Beard to play his preferred midfield three. Teagan Micah makes her first team sheet of the year, making the bench.

First Half

Missy Bo Kearns receives the opening kickoff...wearing an Aston Villa kit. This will remain weird for a while.

There is a clash of heads as Taylor Hinds challenges with Rachel Daly for a ball in the Aston Villa half. Daly stays down and play is stopped for a head injury. Daly is checked out and cleared to continue. That’s been the only item of note in the opening 10 minutes.

As we have seen all to frequently this season, Liverpool are struggling to complete some easy passes, especially in the attacking half. The players seem a bit tentative in the early going.

Liverpool with their first real attack as Fuka Nagano slides the ball to Grace Fisk, and the wing back draws a defender before releasing Marie Höbinger into the right edge of the box. The Austrian midfielder cuts the ball back and delivers an enticing ball across the box, but it just evades the touch of both Leanne Kiernan and Ceri Holland.

Liverpool again get the ball into the box and a scramble ensues. The ball falls to Olivia Smith who takes a crack at goal. It hits an Aston Villa defender from close range, with Smith and other Liverpool players immediately calling for a hand ball in the box. The referee waves play on and Aston Villa attack down the other end of the field with the Reds scrambling to get back.

Liverpool starting to get the feel of things now. Jenna Clark carries the ball forward into the Aston Villa half and plays a ball into the feet of Ceri Holland. The midfielder turns away from her defender and carries the ball inside before unleashing a powerful shot from the top of the box. The ball fizzes just over the post.

GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! What an opener it is as Liverpool start from deep in their own half with Marie Höbinger playing a long ball forward for Leanne Kiernan. The Irishwoman flicks it on to Grace Fisk, who does well to keep the ball in play before returning the ball to Kiernen in the right channel. Kiernan gets the end line and cuts the ball back with several players making runs into the box. It comes through everyone and finds the feet of Taylor Hinds on the left side of the six yard box. The captain makes no mistake, powering the ball into the back of the net!

Leanne Kiernan is looking for a goal of her own now after setting up Taylor Hinds. She gets the ball on the left and races forward with the ball before cutting inside and unleashing a shot from the top of the box. It goes just over the crossbar.

Rachael Laws is down now after the shot from Kiernan went over the goal. At least Matt Beard has a reserve goalkeeper on the bench of Laws is truly injured this match. Laws is able to play on for now at least.

A great tackle from Fuka Nagano stops an Aston Villa counter and gets Liverpool immediately back into the attack after the ball falls to Olivia Smith. The young Canadian twists and turns away from two defenders to make it into the box. She looks to drive a shot on goal but a Villa defender flies in to throw in a tackle just as Smith was swinging through the ball. The ball goes out of play and both Smith and Nagano are down in pain. They eventually are both able to get back up and continue.

Ceri Holland is somehow whistled for a foul in a dangerous area after standing still and having an Aston Villa player jump into her. The free kick is a poor one and goes well over the bar at least. Ball don’t lie or summat.

After not calling some pretty hefty late challenges early in the match, the referee is now calling every little bit of contact. Olivia Smith things she is through after rolling her defender, but the referee calls Smith for a push.

Leanne Kiernan does well down the left wing, carrying the ball past a defender and into the box. She looks to play a ball across goal it it looks like it is blocked by the arm of the defender closing her down. The referee decides not to make the call.

GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! It’s another sweeping move, with Höbinger playing the ball forward to Grace Fisk in the right channel. She swings a ball in and Leanne Kiernan gets wiped out from behind by a defender. Taylor Hinds made a run from deep and is right there to meet the ball, however, and again slots it past the goalkeeper and into the net for her second goal of the match!

The Reds see out the few minutes of time added on to finish out the first half to take a two goal lead into the half. Now we see if Liverpool can hold on for the win. They have struggled mightily to put matches to bed in the second half so far this season.

Second Half

Aston Villa make two changes at the half, with Missy Bo Kearns getting an early hook against her childhood side. No changes from Liverpool.

Goal Aston Villa. It’s a simple cross from the top of the box to the far post, with Jenna Clark and Rachael Laws around Gabi Nunes. Clark actually runs past the ball, allowing Nunes to get her head to it. Laws is slow to react to the weak header and it glances off of her and into the net.

The goal early in the second half seems to have re-energized Aston Villa. Liverpool are struggling to keep hold of the ball now, and are desperately clearing it out of play.

Fuka Nagano goes down off the ball after one such clearance. She seems to still be struggling with the knock she took at the end of the first half. Fuka cannot continue and is replaced by Gemma Evans. It looks like Evans will drop into defense, with Jasmine Matthews stepping into the holding midfield role.

Olivia Smith pounces on a misplayed ball and carries it into the box. Her cross is blocked out for a corner. Gemma Bonner gets on the end of the set piece, flicking a header towards goal, but it is a comfortable save in the end.

Olivia Smith wins the ball in a dangerous area, but is whistled for being too strong? Seemed like she cleanly took the ball off the defender’s foot. Moments later Smith gets cleaned out as she starts a counter. It’s former Liverpool player Miri Taylor, who came on for Missy Bo Kearns, who is called for the foul, and she is also shown a yellow card.

Oof, scary moment here as Rachael Laws collides with Jenna Clark while punching a cross clear. Clark is down and the referee for a head injury. Clark is checked out and is able to get up and continue after a couple of minutes.

Matt Beard elects to bring on fresh legs, with Cornelia Kapocs replacing Leanne Kiernan. Kiernan put in quite a shift running the channels, and she definitely was looking tired out midway through the second half. Lucy Parry also comes on for Grace Fisk at right wing back.

Liverpool struggling to string together two or three passes together. They really need some possession to take the sting out of this game.

The Reds finally starting to get some purchase here in the second half. They are starting to keep some possession, and Olivia Smith earns a foul after being clattered from behind while receiving a ball. The free kick is lumped forward and only cleared as far as Jasmine Matthews. The converted midfielder tries her luck from distance, but her shot is right at the goalkeeper for a comfortable save.

Two final changes for Liverpool. Hannah Silcock and Mia Enderby come on in place of Jasmine Matthews and Olivia Smith. It looks like Silcock is playing in the holding midfield role, which is an interesting wrinkle.

Mia Enderby shows off her pace to lead Liverpool on a counter after the Reds clear their lines from a free kick. Great work from the youngster to drive the ball forward to relieve the pressure before playing it to Ceri Holland.

Aston Villa earn a corner kick after a good sliding tackle from Gemma Evans to tackle the ball away. They get two bites at the apple after the first clearance doesn’t get fully out of the defensive zone, but Liverpool manage to do enough to scramble it to Taylor Hinds, who calmly clears the ball down the line to give her side a breather.

Liverpool with a nice spell of possession in the attacking half as the clock ticks over the 90 minute mark. Mia Enderby is hauled down and earns a free kick just outside the right edge of the Aston Villa box as 7 minutes of extra time are announced.

Marie Höbinger drives the free kick in and almost finds the head of Hannah Silcock, but it is cleared out for a corner just ahead of the young Scouser. The corner kick is a decent one, but Liverpool cannot keep the ball in the box.

Huge save from Rachael Laws! Aston Villa get the ball forward and uncork a shot from long range. Laws makes a leaping save and turns it around the post for a corner kick that the Reds clear.

Aston Villa are desperately trying to generate attacks now, but Liverpool are doing enough to break up play and get the ball going away from their own goal. Cornelia Kapocs, Mia Enderby, and Ceri Holland all doing well to get touches and make Aston Villa put the ball out of play or foul them.

And that’s it, Liverpool manage to hang on for the win!

Final Thoughts

As we have seen all too frequently this season, Liverpool looked strong in the first half, dominating the chances and taking a deserved lead. Thankfully for the Reds, they scored twice in the first half this time before capitulating in the second half. The goal conceded was again one they should have dealt with, and Liverpool overall did not do much to put the game to bed. Matt Beard’s side managed to hold on, however, and take all three points for just the second time this season.

Liverpool will finish the weekend in sixth, tied with Arsenal on points but behind on goal differential. The Reds will return home to take on Chelsea next Sunday.