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Sunday 16 February 2025 14:02
Manchester United enjoyed a sixth successive WSL win on Sunday afternoon, securing maximum points with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Leigh Sports Village.
Elisabeth Terland’s eighth and ninth goals in all competitions this season had a huge part to play. Palace cancelled out the Norwegian’s first of the afternoon through Mille Gejl near the end of the first half, before Terland’s second shortly after the hour mark proved decisive. Grace Clinton’s header a few minutes from the end made sure of the result and was the icing on the cake.
Before kick-off, Leah Galton’s recent 150th appearance in our FA Cup win over Wolves was celebrated when she was presented with a framed shirt to commemorate the milestone.
Leah Galton was celebrated ahead of kick-off.
FIRST HALF
United were rewarded for early dominance from kick-off when Terland converted the first clear chance of the afternoon for a ninth-minute breakthrough for the Reds. Grace Clinton was able to pick off a Palace goal kick, finding Hinata Miyazawa, who in turn threaded the ball into Terland’s path in between the centre-backs.
From there, it was a composed finish from our no.19 into the bottom corner. Teri had two more opportunities in quick succession, unable to shake the attention of Palace defender Allyson Swaby for one, seeing the power taken off the shot with a well-timed block, and then striking the foot of the far post with the next chance.
Towards the half-hour stage, United had continued to control the game by freely playing in Palace territory, looking for the next way in. There were some more nervy moments for the visitors on a handful of occasions, with goalmouth scrambles to clear efforts from Clinton and Gabby George, before space opened up for Ella Toone to shoot from distance, seeing the attempt blocked.
The Palace equaliser in the closing stages of the half came against the run of play, Gejl making the run forward from midfield after a couple of clever passes created the space. She was tracked by Miyazawa, who got a toe to the attempted shot, but agonisingly not enough to keep it out.
United almost got back in front in stoppage time as Terland capitalised on a Palace mix-up from a long pass forward, nipping in between goalkeeper and defender but unable to direct the finish on target under pressure. Late penalty appeals for a coming together between Galton and Swaby were also waved away.
United had taken the lead before Palace struck back.
SECOND HALF
Looking to retake the lead, United made a bright start to the second period and were denied another early goal from kick-off by a little bit of desperate Palace defending. Goalkeeper Milla-Maj Majasaari initially spilled Clinton’s in-swinging cross from the right but made up for it by saving as Galton pounced on the loose ball. Toone followed it up, only for Swaby to block the shot on the line.
There was an element of fortune when Terland did put the Reds back in front. Clinton’s attempted pass in-field took a huge deflection and ended up on a plate for Teri, one on one with Majasaari. She knocked it past the goalkeeper rushing out and cleverly reverse fired the ball back across goal to avoid Swaby, who had taken up position on the line.
Elisabeth Terland put in another fine goalscoring performance.
Into the final 15 minutes and Palace showed again they were still a threat. Phallon Tullis-Joyce bravely risked a painful knock by diving to tip a deflected lopping cross away from Clarissa Larisey, with Maya Le Tissier heroically blocking the rebound from My Cato on the line.
At the other end, Celin Bizet was close to adding daylight to the scoreline, nodding fellow substitute Anna Sandberg’s cross into the ground and just wide of the far post. But that breathing room did come six minutes before the end of the 90, as Clinton rose highest and beat Majasaari to the aerial ball to nod Toone’s wide free-kick in for number three.
Grace Clinton from an all-action afternoon with a goal.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere (Mannion 84), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George (Sandberg 63); Miyazawa (Bizet 73), Janssen; Clinton, Toone, Galton; Terland.
Subs not used: Middleton-Patel, Awujo, Geyse, Malard, Williams.
Goals: Terland 9, 64, Clinton 84.
Crystal Palace: Majasaari; Green (c) (Sharpe 86), Swaby, Veje, Woodham; Riley (Oling 77), Potter, Cato; Gejl (Blanchard 77); Weerden, Larisey (Hughes 77).
Subs not used: Yanez, Atkinson, Gibbons, Arthur, Larkin.
Goal: Gejl 38.
Booked: Riley 59, Oling 83.
Attendance: 4,761.
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Sunday 16 February 2025 14:02
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