Reggae Girl Shaw secures Man City victory

LONDON (CMC):

Reggae Girl Khadija Shaw netted her fourth goal of the season for Manchester City as they won 2-0 at West Ham United on Saturday to move level on points with rivals Manchester United in the English FA Women’s Super League (WSL).

Gareth Taylor’s side were full of confidence after seven straight wins in all competitions, and Georgia Stanway swept them ahead on eight minutes before Spanish Town-born Shaw, 25, doubled their lead on 63 minutes with the easiest of headers from Caroline Weir’s corner.

With four WSL games left, only goal difference keeps City in fourth, behind United and the Women’s Champions League spots.

“West Ham are a team who have only lost twice at home all season, so it lays down a marker,” Taylor said as he reflected on his 50th victory in charge of City.

“We had flying machines at the top of the pitch and at times, we used that. We had good energy and it was a really important win for us.”

A City victory seemed a formality as they dominated the early exchanges.

Hayley Raso rounded goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold inside two minutes but got closed out, and Shaw – affectionately known as ‘Bunny’ – had the chance to score when she was slid through seconds later, but Arnold smothered brilliantly to deny her.

The two sides face each other again in their next fixture, contesting one of the FA Women’s Cup semi-finals on Saturday, April 16.

Shaw, a member of the historic Jamaica squad which qualified for the FIFA World Cup in France three years ago, joined Manchester City from Bordeaux in a three-year deal last year.