LEANNE KIERNAN SCORED her second goal in as many games as Liverpool beat West Ham 1-0 in the Women’s Super League this afternoon.
The Irish striker scored against her former club once again, having done so in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.
It was Kiernan’s first WSL goal of the season — and just the second from an Irish player in 2024/25 with Anna Patten previously on target for Aston Villa.
The Cavan star’s classy finish in the 33rd minute proved to be the difference at St Helen’s Stadium this afternoon:
Leanne Kiernan that is cheeky 😮💨
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) February 2, 2025
A superb ball into the box from Holland that Kiernan flicks into the net!#BarclaysWSL @LiverpoolFCW pic.twitter.com/DHcx5yTfYm
The goal saw Kiernan move up to second place on Liverpool’s top scorers list in the WSL era, with 22 in all competitions since arriving in June 2021. The 25-year-old had an incredible start to life on Merseyside, but has been plagued by injury at times.
“Once Leanne gets her goal, then she scores goals – it’s as simple as that,” said Liverpool manager Matt Beard after today’s win.
“She’s enjoying her football again at the moment. I think personally she’s in the best place that I’ve seen her in a long time. Delighted for her. It was great movement as well, the way she’s ghosted in and what a deft flick it was.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal moved into the WSL’s top three at the expense of Manchester City after emerging with a 4-3 victory from a breathless encounter at the Joie Stadium.
The Gunners — without the suspended Katie McCabe — raced into a 2-0 lead after Mariona Caldentey pounced on a City mistake in the first minute and Lotte Wubben-Moy added a header in the eighth.
City hit back through Mary Fowler’s 20th-minute header, and an Arsenal error then led to their former player Vivianne Miedema equalising five minutes into the second half.
A minute later Frida Maanum put the visitors back in front, and after a controversially awarded Fowler penalty swiftly brought things all square again, Stina Blackstenius then struck what proved the winner with 12 minutes of normal time to go.
It saw Renee Slegers’ side move up from fourth to second in the table, but they later dropped to third after Manchester United’s 1-0 win at Tottenham.
Leaders Chelsea needed an 82nd-minute Sarah Mayling own goal to see off Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park.
Villa’s Kirsty Hanson crashed an effort off the crossbar and it looked like they would stop the reigning champions from scoring for the first time this campaign.
But, four minutes after England midfielder Keira Walsh was brought on to make her Chelsea debut, Mayling diverted Mayra Ramirez’s cross into the Villa net to gift the Blues a 12th victory in 13 WSL games.
Kelly Gago struck twice as Everton overpowered Leicester 4-1 at Walton Hall Park, with Heather Payne among the assists.
Katja Snoeijs and Honoka Hayashi were also on target for the Toffees while Shannon O’Brien had scored a first-half equaliser for Leicester, who are just three points off the bottom.
Bottom side Crystal Palace finally made their numerical advantage count as My Cato scored an 88th-minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw against rivals Brighton at the Broadfield Stadium.
The Seagulls had been gifted the lead in the first half when Palace goalkeeper Milla-Maj Majasaari let a backpass from Lily Woodham go under her foot and into the net.
Brighton were reduced to 10 players in the 47th minute when Maisie Symonds was sent off for a late challenge on Palace midfielder Aimee Everett, with Cato eventually turning home Woodham’s low cross to earn a point.
In the Championship, Emily Murphy provided an assist off the bench on her Newcastle United debut as they drew 2-2 with Southampton while Megan Campbell captained London City Lionesses to a 1-0 win at Portsmouth.
And Irish-heavy table-toppers Birmingham City ended Sunderland’s unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light. Jessie Stapleton was forced off for the Black Cats through injury, leaving new Ireland manager Carla Ward on alert ahead of Nations League action later this month.
- Additional reporting from Emma Duffy
Well done Katie! The pride of Ireland
@Brian Dunne: she’s a class act. Croker would be electric. Most wouldn’t see the boxing ha but electric none the less.
@Sean Partidge: Very true that even the people of Bray/ Wicklow direction can’t watch one of their own cant do it without having to subscribe to a channel ( around 8€ ish)
@Colette Kearns: that’s the nature of prof boxing. Big fights being PPV . It’s how ‘one of their own’ get paid after all. National broadcasters don’t have an automatic right to broadcast ‘one of their own’ for free.
Well done Katie. Unbelievable record. If Croke Park goes ahead should consider retiring while still ahead afterwards. Get out while ahead. Huge future promoting the game and mentoring other women.
Proper Irish legend, so proud of her.
Fantastic record…. Hopefully she gets her dream to retire as champion in Croke Park..
@Peadár Ó’Cearnacháin: the neighbours will reject to it I’m sure
Well done Katie.
She is unreal. Fair play
One word. LEGEND.
Roll on Croker, Excellent Boxer
Well done Katie, the GAA will be rubbing their paws….
Fantastic Katie. We’ll done. Great news
@Anna Carr: Well. Bloomin autocorrect lol
And to think people idolised that Gob##ite McGreggor, pound for pound the best fighter Ireland or the world has ever produced, go Katie
Amazing achievement Katie!
Why couldn’t I watch this on a service I’m forced to pay for?
@Graham O’Brien: The promotion she is with is exclusively showing their fights on the Dazn platform.
@Graham O’Brien: because she is signed to dazn,I don’t understand why people go on about this,their is no boxer in the world signed to a national broadcaster and no national broadcaster could afford to pay her what they pay her
@Warren Mcdermott: It happens every time she fights, which makes me wonder if the people who comment cared so much about seeing her they surely would have looked it up!
Sorry, but a joke of an opponent. KT was 20/1 on to win this fight for a reason. All about a bumper money spinner at Croke Park.
@Tipper Irie: You’re a person that sounds like “tanker”.
@Alan Wright: Yep, a complete and utter tanker
@Alan Wright: objectively he is correct and has a very valid point. It doesn’t take away that she won her fight. That you’ve reverted immediately to schoolyard name calling is very telling, and something I’ve noticed happening more often from our supposed ‘adults.’ You can barely have a debate, question anything, or make a political statement any more than it’s quickly turned to some mud-slinging, soundbite ridden, urinal cake of retort. The dumbing down of society plane and simple
@Declan Edward: *Plain, obviously
@Declan Edward: Ah, Declan! This is The Journal. Around here name-calling is seen as educated debate.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: not just on the journal unfortunately.
@Alan Wright: Why don’t you try and argue the point instead of resorting to childish name calling?
@Alan Wright: if you are unable to see what is happening here that says more about you than me. This is a financial investment by possibly the most corrupt boxing promoter in the world right now in Eddie Hearn. This is about a big pay day selling out Croker, because he knows he can fill it on the back of PR and the nations love of KT. Would you accept the Ireland rugby team playing Peru at rugby and then being asked to pay in excess of €150 a ticket to play another (probably) easy opponent at the Aviva?
Boxing under Hearn has been about entertainment not the noble art. He hypes fighters up, gets them some very dubious decisions, including KT and then gets the adoring public to pay a fortune to watch them fight live. I am willing to guarantee he will earn more from the fight than KT.
Ireland greatest boxer ever
Fantastic
Well done Katie, and i believe something or some gesture should be afforded to katie, i dont think she gets enough recognition for her outstanding contributions to irish sports.
Bring Katie home . Katie in croke park will put women’s boxing on another level but also bring back shows in Ireland after the degenerates put a stop to it and at the same time be one of boxing’s biggest shows . Wait til the world sees at home how we support her . Be an unrivalled show .( Tyson fury v usky on the undercard
Naas Maurice
Well done Katie, and i believe something or gesture should be afforded to katie, i dont think she gets enough recognition for her outstanding contributions to irish sports.
@Steven Geoghegan: Boxing isn’t a sport.
Well Done to Katie Taylor, “The Celtic Warrior Queen.
Good.she makin a few bob in a cut throat buisness.