Fixtures
- Aston Villa Women Vs. Leicester City Women – Sat, Mar 30th 2024, 12:30
Aston Villa Women were forced to settle for a point on Saturday afternoon, as they drew 2-2 with Leicester City at Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Adriana Leon gave Villa a first-half lead before Leicester immediately equalised through Yuka Momiki.
Sam Tierney nodded home from a free-kick to put the Foxes in front but Rachel Daly had the final say, lathing onto a Jordan Nobbs cross to ensure a share of the points.
Carla Ward made two changes from the side that started Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at Villa Park.
Rachel Corsie returned to captain the side from the outset, while Alisha Lehmann also got the nod.
Sarah Mayling and Maz Pacheco, meanwhile, dropped to the substitutes bench.
Villa knew they would enjoy more possession than they did during that defeat to the Gunners, and it showed in the opening 10 minutes as Leon and Daly registered attempts.
Suddenly the hosts laid siege on the visitors’ goal as Anna Patten saw a goal-bound header pushed away before Ebony Salmon and Corsie both had further efforts denied all within the space of a few seconds.
The game soon settled down, however, and Leicester grew into proceedings.
Deanna Rose was a particular threat and got Corsie into the referee’s notebook early on with her powerful drives forward.
Villa absorbed some increasing Leicester pressure well and took the lead when Leon tapped home at the back post following a driven cross from Salmon on the right-hand side.
But the visitors were back on level terms moments later when Momiki wrong-footed Anna Leat in the Villa goal to bring us back to square one.
The pendulum swung in the favour of the Foxes before the half-time break and they should’ve been in front when Jutta Rantala struck the base of Leat’s post when it seemed harder to miss.
The game was on a knife-edge heading into the second 45 minutes and both sides appeared cautious in their attempts not to concede the next goal.
Leicester had a sight of goal but Saori Takarada’s long-range effort was not struck with any conviction.
They would take the lead with their next foray forward, though.
Tierney sent a glancing header beyond Leat via the inside of the post as Villa found themselves chasing the game as they did do last weekend.
Villa’s confidence didn’t waver any they got back on level terms just 15 minutes from the final whistle when Daly converted from point-blank range to set up a tense finale.
Daly and co. probed for a late winner, but their efforts were ultimately in vein as they settled for a point.
