Report: Defeat for Palace Women on final day at City

Summary:

• There are three changes for Palace's last game of the season, with Öling, Larkin and Woodham coming into the side.
• 4 – GOAL: Palace win the ball high up the field, and Gejl squares it to Weerden who finishes beautifully.
• 6: Palace almost double their lead just two minutes later, as Stengel lays off a pass to Sharpe, but her effort is just wide of the post.
• 17 – GOAL: A defensive mix-up allows Kerolin to bring the ball down and finish well into the right side of the net.
• 23: Stengel nearly puts Palace ahead again, but can't direct Sharpe's wonderful cross on target.
• 31: A super stop from Yañez denies City from close range.
• 40 – GOAL: Stengel is picked out by Sharpe, and the forward lays a perfect ball off to Gejl, who finishes superbly.
• HT: Man City 1 - 2 Palace
• 53: City counter-attack and strike the post.
• 54: A fine double-save from Kheating denies Stengel a goal for Palace.
• 64 – GOAL: It's a tap-in for Roord after the ball fortuitously lands at her feet.
• 67 – GOAL: Knaak heads home from a corner to put City into the lead for the first time.
• 82: A Palace giveaway almost gifts City a fourth, but Hasegawa pulls her shot wide.
• 86 – GOAL: Kerolin gets her second and City's fourth, as she races in behind the Palace defence and slots past Yañez.
• 90+4: – GOAL: Knaak gets City's fifth, nodding in from a Fujino corner.
• FT: Man City 5 - 2 Palace

Despite two well-crafted goals for Palace, a second-half City revival consigned the Eagles to a 5-2 defeat in Manchester with which to end the 24/25 season.

It was the perfect start for Leif Smerud's side, with Palace scoring a wonderful team goal in the fourth minute.

Mille Gejl pressed high up the field and won the ball from the City midfield, before playing a neat one-two with Katie Stengel. The Denmark international then looked up and found Ashleigh Weerden with a perfect pass across the City box.

Weerden took one touch and smashed the ball past England international Khiara Keating to give Palace a 1-0 lead in Manchester.

Palace could have doubled their lead just a minute later after more fantastic work from Stengel, but the arriving Molly-Mae Sharpe could not get her effort on target.

The hosts were to score next however, with Brazil international Kerolin rifling the ball past Shae Yañez to grab an equaliser for the Citizens in the 17th minute.

Palace continued to create chances though, and Stengel was inches away from putting the Eagles in front just six minutes later, but she couldn't get her effort on target from a promising position.

The Palace attack continued to torment the City defence, and on 40 minutes, the Eagles regained their lead in Manchester.

Sharpe clipped an inch-perfect pass over the defence which Stengel latched onto. The striker controlled the ball brilliantly, cut inside and rolled the ball into Gejl's path, who planted the ball in the right corner.

It was another well-worked team goal for Smerud's side, who were creating chances frequently for the first 45 minutes against a City side who, until recently, had been chasing a Champions League place.

Palace began the second-half in the same way they ended the first, with Keating forced into a sensational double-save to deny Stengel a third goal for the Eagles.

The forward made another exquisite run in behind the City defence, and saw her initial effort and follow up parried away by Keating.

This moment would prove to be decisive in the game however, and as the game wore on, momentum began to shift in City's favour.

There was a huge let-off for Smerud's side on 60 minutes, as Kerolin couldn't convert from five yards out with Yañez on hand to smother the ball.

Palace were made to pay just four minutes later, after Yañez's acrobatic save deflected into the path of substitute Jill Roord, who tapped into an empty net.

City would then take the lead three minutes later, after Knaak headed home from a corner in the 67th minute.

The hosts added to their lead in the 86th minute, with Kerolin racing in behind the defence and finishing well beyond the Palace goalkeeper.

Knaak sealed the points in added time with her second headed goal from a corner, making it 5-2 to City.

Before then, there was an emotional moment in the 79th minute, as Fliss Gibbons replaced Ria Öling to make one final appearance for the club, before her retirement at the end of the season.

Ultimately the score-line did not tell the full story of the match, and Palace can leave the pitch with heads held high after pushing City for the majority of the game.

Man City: Keating (GK), Aleixandri, Greenwood, Coombs (Roord, 46), Hemp (Blindkilde Brown, 68), Nicoli, Park (Fujino, 46), Casparij, Hasegawa, Knaak, Prior

Subs not used: Annets (GK), Layzell, Wienroither, Oyama, Thomas, Murphy

Palace: Yañez (GK), Sharpe, Weerden (Cato, 90+2), Nolan, Öling (Gibbons, 78), Potter, Gejl, Woodham, Larkin (Larisey, 78), Stengel (Arthur, 90+2), Swaby

Subs not used: Majassaari (GK), Hughes, Atkinson