Leicester 5-2 Bristol City: Foxes overturn early deficit to cruise to victory

Leicester fought back from an early deficit to consign the Women’s Super League’s bottom side Bristol City to a disappointing 5-2 defeat.

Wales international Ffion Morgan netted the Robins' opener completely against the run of play before Yuka Momiki drew the sides level and her Japanese compatriot Saori Takarada gave the Foxes the lead before the break.

Takarada’s strike was cancelled out by Amalie Thestrup’s eighth goal of the campaign after the break. 

But Janice Cayman quickly restored Leicester's lead and Jutta Rantala added another before turning provider for 16-year-old substitute Denny Draper to score her first professional goal.

The result leaves relegation-threatened Bristol City five points adrift of 11th-placed Brighton, while seventh-placed Leicester pulled within three points of Tottenham in the top half of the table.

The Foxes got off to a dominant start but were unable to find the finishing touch on a handful of early chances after Sam Tierney directed CJ Bott’s cross wide and Bristol City goalkeeper Shae Yanez made a good save to deny Rantala.

Yet it was the visitors who found themselves ahead in the 20th minute, when Leicester goalkeeper Lize Kop gave the ball away on the edge of her own penalty area and directed it straight to Morgan, who found the top-left corner with a smart finish from 25 yards.

Leicester settled following the surprise opener, coming inches away from an equaliser when Rantala clipped the inside of Kop’s right-hand post.

Momiki squared things up in the 33rd minute, wrong-footing Yanez with a left-footed effort that floated over the Bristol City keeper, while Shannon O’Brien, with time and space, wasted a good chance to fire the Foxes in front moments later.

Aileen Whelan looked to add her name to the scoresheet in first-half added time but her deflected effort was cleared off the line, fortunately landing in front of Takarada, who bundled the ball in to give Leicester the lead before the break.

Leicester quickly lost their advantage after the break when an error allowed Thestrup to run through on goal and slot past Kop in the 49th minute. 

But the hosts restored their lead five minutes later when Cayman fired into the bottom corner.

Both bosses made a pair of substitutions as the game entered its final 20 minutes and Rantala, who moments before had lifted an effort just past the top-right corner, curled the ball past Yanez to give Leicester some breathing space.

Draper, one of two 80th-minute changes for Willie Kirk, scuffed her first effort after finding herself through on goal. 

But the 16-year-old made no mistake with her second opportunity from Rantala’s fine delivery to put the nail in Bristol City’s coffin.