Three goals in 20 minutes in the first half took Manchester City out of sight as our perfect start to the Women's Super League campaign was ended with a 5-1 defeat at Brisbane Road on Friday evening.
Two wins out of two, no goals conceded before kick-off, we started well and matched City for the first quarter of the game, but once Aoba Fujino fired home the opener on 23 minutes it was an uphill battle.
Vivianne Miedema and Kerstin Casparij made it 3-0 by half-time and despite a brave defensive effort in the second half - including Lize Kop's penalty save to deby our old nemesis, Bunny Shaw - City forged further ahead when former Spur, Grace Clinton, marked her City debut with the fourth.
Oliva Holdt struck a spectacular consolation effort from 30 yards for 4-1 on 87 minutes, but City had the final word when Laura Coombs added the fifth goal in the final minute of added time.
Both managers made one change as Charlotte Grant came in for Josefine Rybrink and Aoba Fujino took the place of Iman Beney in City's midfield.
We had a couple of early sights at goal in an even opening period. Cathinka Tanberg managed to charge down Khiara Keating's attempted clearance on seven minutes, the ball rebounded wide of the empty net, and Tanberg was there again with a flying volley on 21 minutes that looped straight at Keating.
City made the breakthrough soon after. Fujino played a clever little one-two on the edge of the box with Shaw and powered home via Kop's left hand from 16 yards. City stepped up a gear. Kop did well to deny Shaw from point-blank range and Gracie Prior poked wide before Miedema flicked home a header from Alex Greenwood's near post corner delivery on 39 minutes. There was a touch of fortune as City made it 3-0 on 43 minutes as Kerolin's shot was blocked by Toko Kogo and spun up to the far post where Casparij headed home.
We found it tough going in terms of creating anything going forward in the second half, but we defended stoutly under pressure to keep City at bay. That included a showdown between Kop and Shaw - Kop denying Shaw from the penalty spot down to her left and then again from close range. Shaw also headed against the crossbar.
Clinton, off the bench on 64 minutes, planted home City's fourth from Kerolin's cross on 80 minutes. We responded with the goal of the night as Holdt robbed Clinton, took aim from 30 yards and struck a beauty into the top corner. It would have been nice if that was the final action of note, but the visitors had the final word when Clinton's shot deflected into the path of Coombs, and she made no mistake from 10 yards.
