We gave ourselves the best possible chance of finishing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League play-off places with a 1-0 win at home to FC Twente on Tuesday night.
Beth Mead curled in the opener at Meadow Park early on and that was all it took to separate the sides.
### FIRST HALF
It took just five minutes for us to have our first chance as Taylor Hinds played the ball inside to Mariona Caldentey, who shifted it onto her right foot and fired just wide of the top right corner.
Her following shot was then blocked and Mead volleyed towards goal on the rebound, but it was headed off the line.
Mead’s next effort did nestle into the back of the net though as she curled the ball beyond Diede Lemey after receiving it from Alessia Russo.
Twente didn’t have their first chance until the 27th minute, when a cross from the right was headed over the bar by Sophie Proost, clearing the North Bank.
We had three more chances around the half-hour mark, Mariona going for goal from just inside the 18-yard box but seeing her shot blocked, before Mead’s cross caused trouble and was cleared just past the post for an Arsenal corner.
Katie McCabe’s inswinging delivery was then headed just wide of the bottom right by Russo and we went into the half-time break a goal to the good.
### SECOND HALF
Anneke Borbe took a hit to the face early in the second half after she got to the ball first when Eva Oude Elberink was running through on goal. Thankfully our goalkeeper was able to carry on..
We made a triple change with just over half an hour to go as Olivia Smith, Victoria Pelova and Mariona made way for Caitlin Foord, Kim Little and Frida Maanum.
Russo headed a cross just wide as we turned up the tempo in our hunt for a second goal.
Russo headed a cross just wide as we turned up the tempo in our hunt for a second goal. Mead’s free-kick then reached Wubben-Moy who headed towards goal but it was punched clear by Lemey.
The hunt continued as McCabe drilled a free-kick from a narrow angle towards the near post, but it was touched behind and out for a goal-kick. A Kyra Cooney-Cross free-kick then fell to Russo who poked it goalwards but it was too central to trouble Lemey.
It remained one-way traffic with roughly 15 minutes remaining as the ball came out to Cooney-Cross, who fired it over the bar from distance.
We came so close to taking a 2-0 lead in the 80th minute as Maanum’s cross was headed onto the bar by Russo from close range.
After playing most of the game at right-back, Taylor Hinds was replaced by Emily Fox in the 83rd minute.
We made one more change into five minutes of added time, Stina Blackstenius coming on for Russo to see out the win.
### WHAT’S NEXT
We head to Goodison Park to take on Everton in the WSL with a 12pm kick-off on Saturday, December 13.
Then, our Champions League group phase comes to a close away to OH Leuven at 8pm on Wednesday, December 17. Should we finish in the play-off places, the table will determine our first knockout phase opponent.
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