Marie Hobinger nets stoppage-time equaliser as Liverpool salvage Spurs draw

Posted Monday, February 05, 2024 by PA

Marie Hobinger scored a stoppage-time equaliser to help Liverpool salvage a 1-1 Women’s Super League draw against Tottenham at Prenton Park.

Neither side made much of an impression in the first half but Celin Bizet’s 72nd-minute strike looked like it would earn Spurs a sixth league victory of the season and see her side leap-frog above their hosts into fifth spot.

Tottenham had chances to secure the three points but Amanda Nilden hit the post before Wang Shuang spurned another golden opportunity, and they were made to pay by Hobinger’s late leveller.

Liverpool, looking to bounce back from successive defeats, created the first opening of the game when Sophie Haug headed on to Ceri Holland but her tame effort was straight at Barbora Votikova.

Tottenham threatened next when Nilden drilled a ball into the box but Beth England could not get on the end of it.

Spurs goalkeeper Votikova looked nervous and caused confusion when she clashed with Liverpool forward Shanice van de Sanden in the hope of claiming a ball into the box, but the visitors were able to deal with the danger.

Liverpool looked the most likely scorers in an otherwise sedate half of football, with Holland letting fly with an effort that flew over the bar.

Tottenham had the last chance of the half as a ball was whipped onto the head of Martha Thomas, but the striker nodded into the hands of Rachael Laws.

The visitors opened the scoring against the run of play with 18 minutes to go when Thomas’ cross found Bizet who looped the ball over Laws and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Spurs almost doubled their lead five minutes later after Nilden found space inside the area and crashed in a curling shot that hit the inside of the post.

Robert Vilahamn’s side still had not put the game to bed after they missed another golden opportunity to double their lead, this time Grace Clinton finding Shuang inside the area but the substitute slammed her effort straight at Laws.

And Liverpool netted a dramatic equaliser in stoppage time after Leanne Kiernan cut a ball back to Hobinger who smashed past Votikova into the bottom corner.