Shaw brace earns Man City first league win of season

LONDON, England (CMC):

Reggae Girl Khadija Shaw bagged a brace as Manchester City earned their first points of the English Women’s Super League season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Leicester yesterday.

The Spanish Town-born Shaw opened the scoring on 24 minutes at the Academy Stadium with a powerful header from a Lauren Hemp cross while unmarked at the far post.

And, showing her poacher’s instinct, the 25-year-old added a second on 72 minutes, sweeping home the rebound after Alex Greenwood’s penalty was saved.

It was Shaw’s fifth goal in all competitions this season.

Shaw began the league season with a goal in City’s 4-3 defeat against Aston Villa last month, having scored twice in a 6-0 win over Kazakh side Tomiris-Turan in the Women’s Champions League first qualifying round in August.

Yesterday’s home win lifted City to eighth in the 12-team table after three matches while Leicester, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, are bottom of the league and pointless this season.

City will face a tough challenge securing Champions League football this year, with neighbours Manchester United pushing for a top-four spot, having missed out in the previous three seasons, and moving to the top of the league after their 4-0 win over Brighton earlier yesterday.

But City now have a decent run of league games – including Tottenham, Liverpool and Reading – to build some momentum and move themselves up the table.

Shaw’s Reggae Girlz team-mate Drew Spence hit the woodwork in the first half for Tottenham, who beat Liverpool 1-0 at Brisbane Road in east London.