1-1 v Liverpool FC - 4 February 2024 - Away

We were made to rue missed chances after substitute Marie Hobinger netted a stoppage-time equaliser for Liverpool in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

Leading through Celin Bizet's goal 19 minutes from time at a windswept Prenton Park, we saw two golden opportunities to kill the game off slip away in the latter stages as Amanda Nilden hit the post before Shuang Wang was denied by goalkeeper Rachael Laws.

Having worked hard to get our noses in front earlier in the game, we looked good value to see out the game at that point but the hosts had other ideas, Hobinger firing home from the edge of the box in the first of seven added minutes to make it 1-1 as we were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

It was a real sucker-punch at the end of a gruelling game, although Liverpool might have felt they were worthy of their point over the course of the contest. Indeed, it was a game of few clear-cut opportunities until the last 20 minutes. Ceri Holland tried to find a breakthrough for the hosts a couple of times before the break while Barbora Votikova smothered Emma Koivisto's shot after initially skewing a clearance straight to the Liverpool player, with our best opportunity of the first half coming in stoppage time when Nilden's cross from the left was met by a downward header from Martha Thomas six yards out, but it proved a routine stop for Laws on her line.

Again, neither side really took the game by the scruff of the neck in the opening stages of the second half, Liverpool forcing a couple of corners while Grace Clinton chased down a good ball from Bizet from out on the right, but found her route to goal blocked at the edge of the box.

However, we finally took the lead with 71 minutes gone as Thomas did well to find space on the right side of the box, with her cut-back nudged over the advancing goalkeeper by Bizet in the middle. Three minutes later, Nilden went clean through on goal but after her shot beat Laws, it agonisingly cannoned back off the base of the far post. Wang proved a lively influence off the bench, Jess Naz almost latching onto her well-weighted through ball before the China international was herself denied by a big Laws block from the left angle inside the box with just a minute of normal time remaining.

How we would come to regret those missed opportunities, as Charlotte Grant was robbed in the right-back area and the ball was worked to Hobinger, who fired inside the near post on her right foot from the edge of the area to the delight of the home faithful.