A dominant win created more space between Manchester United and fourth-place side Manchester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League table. Aston Villa offered little in their fight to avoid relegation.
Elisabeth Terland secured a first-half brace with goals in the 22nd and 31st minutes. A stunning lob from distance by Grace Clinton in the 45th minute shut the game down, and Leah Galton added a fourth in the second half.
However, the match did not go entirely United’s way, as they were forced into two injury substitutions.
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Manchester United started convincingly, testing Aston Villa’s defence on multiple occasions, but were unable to find the back of the net. Villa had short spells of possession, but lacked execution.
Build-up play from Maya Le Tissier, Jayde Riviere and Celin Bizet led to the match’s opening goal midway through the first half. Terland struck home Bizet’s low cross for her eighth goal of the season.
United added to their lead just under ten minutes later, with Terland heading home an excellent cross from Riviere. The _Red Devils_ kept pushing and in the 45th minute, Clinton spotted Sabrina D’Angelo off her line and sent in an audacious lob from distance to put the game out of Villa’s reach. The hosts were furious that a foul wasn’t given in their favour in the buildup, but United deserved to be comfortably ahead.
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The second half started less in United’s favour, when a cynical challenge by Villa’s Danielle Turner on Bizet forced her off for Melvine Malard in the 50th minute. The team continued consistently though and in the 64th minute, Malard crossed in and Lucy Parker couldn’t stop Galton from netting United’s fourth.
Misfortune struck again for United as half-time substitute Anna Sandberg went down off the ball and had to be replaced by Rachel Williams in the 69th minute.
As the game neared its closing stages, Aston Villa looked more aggressive with a couple of shots on target and corners. However, they still couldn’t keep Phallon Tullis-Joyce from her 11th clean sheet of the season.
Aston Villa come away frustrated, and remain one point away from relegation. If they continue to see results like today’s, any points picked up by bottom side Crystal Palace will see them at risk of the drop.
**AVL:** D’Angelo; Grant, Parker, Patten, Turner, Tomás; Kearns, Nobbs, Baijings; Daly, Nunes
**MUN:** Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, George; Clinton, Miyazawa; Bizet, Toone, Galton; Terland