Liverpool fell to a 4-3 defeat by Manchester City in an eventful Continental League Cup encounter at Prenton Park on Wednesday night.
Filippa Angeldahl broke clear to put City ahead on 33 minutes, but seconds before the break Gemma Bonner marked a special personal occasion in style.
On the No.23’s 135th appearance for the Reds – which set a new club record in the WSL era – Bonner delivered a lovely equalising goal with a hook over the goalkeeper.
Natasha Flint then found the net to get Liverpool in front immediately after the restart, though the visitors responded to level through Jess Park.
City grabbed all three points courtesy of substitute Chloe Kelly’s clinical double, with Mia Enderby’s first goal for Liverpool proving a late, late consolation.
The first chance of the contest had come for City as Yana Daniels’ pass across her own area was intercepted by Lauren Hemp. It looked as though a straightforward finish would follow but Rachael Laws reacted quickly and vitally to block the strike at close range.
Further goalscoring opportunities were limited in the rest of the opening half-hour, with Flint halted inside the area when freed to run on goal in the Reds’ best sight.
A crucial minute of play ensued from 32 to 33 on the clock. At one end, Miri Taylor’s inviting cross from the right found Flint, whose first touch was ideal to tee up a shot that skewed wide of the right post.
From there, a long ball from the back by City goalkeeper Sandy MacIver caught Liverpool out and allowed Angeldahl to break in behind to a one-on-one with Laws. She kept her nerve to clip a low effort inside the left post.
Matt Beard’s team rallied, though, and it was perhaps fate that Bonner got her name on the scoresheet.
Taylor’s deep corner kick from the right side was kept alive in the City penalty box and Grace Fisk did really well to nod the ball back across goal for Bonner, who deftly looped a strike over MacIver into the bottom corner.
