Manchester United Women's pre-season preparations suffered a setback with a narrow defeat to a Women's Super League rival. The team lost 2-1 to Liverpool in a friendly at their Carrington training base on Sunday.
Ella Toone provided the equaliser for United shortly after the restart, but the visitors struck again to secure the win. An own goal had given Liverpool the lead early in the second half before Toone's swift response levelled the scores.
Toone responds quickly
United fell behind in unusual circumstances just after the interval. A defensive mix-up resulted in the ball being turned into the home side's net. The response was immediate, however. Elisabeth Terland battled to create an opening on the byline and her cutback was finished by Toone.
The parity was short-lived. Liverpool regained their lead just after the hour mark when a cross from the right was headed back across goal and turned in by Ceri Holland. United pushed for another equaliser in the final stages, with Lea Schuller firing their best late chance over the bar.
Manager Marc Skinner will now assess his squad ahead of the new campaign. The team's full pre-season schedule and upcoming competitive fixtures are available to view. The result provides a final test before the serious business of the league season begins, with the squad list for the new term detailed on the club's squad page.
