The Robert de Pauw era got off to a winning start as Aston Villa Women defeated Liverpool 1-0 in their opening pre-season fixture of the summer.
The Villans travelled up to Melwood on Saturday afternoon as they ramped up their preparations ahead of the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League season, which gets underway next month.
Substitute Ebony Salmon’s strike early in the second half settled the encounter for a Villa side who now travel to Spain for their pre-season training camp.
Summer signings Paula Tomás and Missy Bo Kearns were handed their first Villa starts, while familiar faces Lucy Parker, Jordan Nobbs and Kirsty Hanson were also among the starting 11.
The fixture got off to a mild and even pace as both teams settled into their opening match of the summer under the Liverpool sun.
Rachel Daly had the game’s first opportunity in front of goal in the eighth minute as Torres picked the forward out but her effort from distance flew wide.
Sofie Lundgaard tested Sophia Poor between the sticks in the 21st minute as she nodded towards goal, but the young shot stopper collected the ball with ease.
Daly turned and found Hanson shortly afterwards, and she neatly knocked the ball past her marker before feeding a pass into Kearns but her effort flew just past a post.
Taylor curled a strong cross into the box on the stroke of half-time, searching for Daly, who rose to meet the ball but couldn’t divert her effort on target.
de Pauw made a flurry of changes after the break as he brought on plenty of fresh legs to ensure all of his squad got a run out.
New addition Chasity Grant was brought on down the right-hand side, while the likes of Sarah Mayling and Rachel Corsie were also introduced.
Salmon entered the fray to lead the line and she had her first sight of goal after only four minutes, breaking past the Liverpool backline before curling an effort just wide.
Minutes later Hanson whipped a cross deep into the box but Kearns wasn’t able to guide her header on target.
Villa got the breakthrough they had been searching for eight minutes into the second half as Salmon fired the visitors into the lead.
Anna Patten sent a long-range pass over the Liverpool rearguard and into the path of Maz Pacheco, who brought it down before rolling the ball back to Hanson. Her teasing cross into the box was unable to be turned away by Kearns on the initial attempt but was smashed home by Salmon.
Anna Leat came on for Poor the final quarter of the fixture after returning from international duty this week and helped ensure the side kept a clean sheet in their first pre-season fixture.
Aston Villa (first half): Poor, Maritz, Parker, Turner, Tomás, Nobbs, Taylor, Robinson, Kearns, Hanson, Daly.
Aston Villa (second half): Poor (Leat), Mayling, Patten, Corsie, Pacheco, Taylor, Staniforth, Grant, Kearns, Hanson, Salmon.
