Manchester City Women 3-0 St. Polten (Agg 6-0): match report
- City cruise into the last 16 of the Women’s Champions League
- Goals from Nikita Parris, Jill Scott and second half substitute Melissa Lawley gave City a 6-0 aggregate win over the Austrian champions
Manchester City Women progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League last night with a comfortable 3-0 win over Austrian league champions St. Polten at the Academy Stadium.
The game was much a repeat of the previous leg with City dominant.
City took a 3-0 aggregate lead going into the second leg and almost added to this tally within a minute after captain, and player of the match, Steph Houghton came close with a volleyed effort from close range.
By the sixth minute City were awarded a penalty after Jane Ross was brought down by St. Polten keeper Jasmin Boisits. Ross stepped up to take the spot kick but her effort was weak and Boisits made an easy save by diving to her right.
St. Polten made City work for the opening goal, which inevitably came from Parris after thirty-five minutes.
After Boisits impressively kept out efforts from Scott, Izzy Christiansen and Jennifer Beattie, the ball eventually fell to Parris who netted home confidently from a few yards out.
Just before half time Scott gifted the City faithful with a second goal. Scott saw Boisits out of position and sent the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net in expert fashion.
With the opposition needing at least five goals to go through City had the win cemented by half time.
The away side caused no real threat to City’s back four in the second half meaning the home side maintained control of the game.
Substitute Lawley added a third goal for the Blues late on in the 85th minute.
Megan Campbell’s long throw into the box found Ross who assisted an unmarked Lawley, who sent the ball in off the post to round off a successful night.
City manager Nick Cushing was pleased to see his side reach the last 16 and said that he couldn’t have asked for much more from his players.
He said: “I wanted to be in the hat for the next round of the Champions League.
“The players have delivered so I couldn’t ask for anymore.
“Whoever we play [in the last 16], we’re going to have to put in a performance and make sure we prepare because there are no weak teams in the competition.”
The Blues are now awaiting Monday’s draw to see who they will face in the last 16.
These ties begin on the 8th and 9th November.