Aston Villa’s 2023/24 Women’s Super League campaign came to end with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Villa Park.
Mary Fowler put the visitors ahead early on, but Villa fought back in Carla Ward’s final game in charge with a second-half Rachel Daly equaliser.
Despite applying pressure late on, it was title-chasing City who found a winner through Lauren Hemp, although they did have to settle for second-place as Chelsea ran riot at Old Trafford to claim top spot.
It was the home side who had the first chance of the afternoon, with Kirsty Hanson’s searching cross finding the head of Daly, who could only direct her header just over the crossbar.
City began to assert themselves and they took the lead midway through the first half, as Fowler took a touch before beating Anna Leat with a clinical low finish.
Sarah Mayling had to be at her best to prevent the visitors from doubling their advantage soon after, with a crucial block to deny Hemp.
Former Villan Laura Blindkilde Brown struck the crossbar as half-time approached, before Leat made a stunning stop to keep the deficit at one as we went into the break.
With Chelsea racing into a 5-0 lead at Old Trafford, City’s title chances were all but gone, but space began to open up on the counter for Ward’s side as the visitors pushed to keep their hopes alive.
When a golden chance on the break came, Daly was there to take it as she raced forward after receiving a ball from Kenza Dali before placing the finish into the bottom corner.
The away side continued to press and Leat was forced into a sequence of saves from Hemp and Blindkilde Brown.
It was England international Hemp who put City ahead for the second time, as she arrived at the back post to poke home with 13 minutes remaining.
Villa attempted to fight back as the clock wound down and substitute Freya Gregory tested Keating, before Daly’s header was deflected into the arms of the away goalkeeper, with Ward’s team unable to fashion another chance before the final whistle.
Aston Villa: Leat; Mayling (Corsie 59′), Patten, Turner (Pacheco 85′), Maritz; Lehmann (Leon 59′), Nobbs, Taylor (Parker HT), Hanson (Gregory 85′); Dali; Daly (C).
Substitutes not used: Salmon, Mullett, Tucker.
Manchester City: Keating; Casparij (Ouahabi 66′), Kennedy (Houghton 66′), Greenwood (C), Aleixandri; Hemp, Park, Hasegawa, Coombs (Blindkilde Brown 14′), Kelly (Stokes 89′); Fowler.
Substitutes not used: Startup, Angeldahl, Morgan, Pritchard, Mace.
