Fixtures
- Aston Villa Women Vs. Crystal Palace Women – Sun, Nov 17th 2024, 14:00
A dramatic last-minute winner from Ebony Salmon secured Aston Villa their first league win of the 2024/25 Women’s Super League season at Villa Park this afternoon as they defeated Crystal Palace 3-2.
Goals from Anna Patten and Rachel Daly gave the Villans the lead at the break after My Cato opened the scoring for the away side.
Annabel Blanchard looked to have stolen a point for Palace with a late goal but substitute Salmon rocketed an incredible winner deep into stoppage time to ensure all three points remained in B6.
Robert de Pauw made one change to his side that drew 0-0 away to Manchester United last weekend as Paula Tomàs came in for the injured Lucy Parker.
Villa started the game brightly as they dominated the early proceedings.
Daly registered the side’s first shot on target inside the opening minute after Chasity Grant used her strength well to keep hold off the ball before finding the striker inside the box with a pass, but her low effort was pushed around the post.
Jordan Nobbs teed up Villa’s next chance in front of goal only a minute later as she took a touch before lifting a terrific shot from outside the box, but Shae Yanez pulled off another superb save to push the goal bound effort safely around her post.
Despite Villa’s dominance it was Palace that got the scoring up and running as Cato smashed home a first-time effort from inside the box after Mille Gejl pulled the ball back.
The set back injected a new lease of life for Villa, and they quickly responded with the leveller on the 40thminute. Gabi Nunes nodded down a high cross from Sarah Mayling and the ball fell into Patten’s path who remained calm and composed inside the box to neatly slot a shot into the near bottom corner.
The Villans continued to pile the pressure on as they were all intent on taking the lead before the break and were rewarded for their efforts as Daly put them 2-1 ahead deep into stoppage time. Kirsty Hanson rolled a brilliant well-weighted pass through the defence and into Daly’s feet who coolly fired a first-time shot safely into the back of the net.
A battling second-half commenced in torrential conditions as both teams came out hunting for the three points.
Hanson found some space inside the final third and drilled a low shot on goal but Yanez got down to collect the effort.
The away side then began to grow and looked to have stolen a point on the 87th minute as they drew themselves level through a first time Blanchard effort.
But Villa stuck together and responded well to the late set back and sealed their long-awaited win in dramatic fashion.
Lucy Staniforth found Tomàs out wide with a floating pass, the full back dribbled through the final third before finding Salmon on the edge of the box who spun Aimee Everett before rocketing a brilliant game winning shot into the top right-hand corner.
