Sheffield United Women's star reveals premonition in impressive 2-1 win over London City Lionesses

Lionesses Jamie-Lee Napier’s run from the halfway line and shot wide was the closest either side got in the early stages. That was until Fran Kitching punched a corner straight up in the air. In the throng of players underneath it on the goal-line, Carly Girasoli rose highest to head in.

United nearly got back in the game through Rhema Lord-Mears. Her dipping shot from the edge of the area beat Yanez but struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced clear.

Kitching made up for her earlier error just before half-time. Ellie Wilson brought Amy Rodgers down in the penalty area and referee Emily Carney pointed to the spot. Atlanta Primus drilled her penalty low but Kitching dived to her right and got a firm hand on it to prevent a two-goal deficit.

And Kitching made another amazing save from Primus. Shanade Hopcroft pulled a cross back to Primus who controlled and hit a low shot from eight yards, but Kitching was in the way again.

Kitching’s saves proved crucial as the Blades, on the back foot for most of the game equalised. Great work from Lord-Mears saw her pull-back for Courtney Sweetman-Kirk who stabbed home from close range.

That goal switched the impetus of the game and soon after Watson smashed a sensational drive from outside the area onto the underside of the crossbar, and this time over the line.

“As soon as I got the ball, I knew what to do,” said match-winner Watson. “After Courts scored her goal, she said to me ‘you’re going to get the winner, I can feel it’ so as soon as I took that first touch, I thought I’ll take a touch inside and just shoot with my left foot, like I always do.

“It went in off the crossbar and I was practising a crossbar challenge in Friday’s training session, so that has paid off.”

The result was United’s third win on the spin and leaves them seventh in the second tier table.

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