Lucy Staniforth: Cup form can galvanise Liverpool

Lucy Staniforth believes Liverpool can now put their foot down in the league after she scored her first goal for the Reds in the 3-0 FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers Belles.

Natasha Dowie struck her third Continental Tyres Cup goal in two games before Staniforth scored directly from a corner, and substitute Ashley Hodson added the gloss late on.

Liverpool will now head to FA WSL 1 leaders Sunderland on Saturday hoping to recapture the league form secured back-to-back titles last year.

And Staniforth, who suffered a season-ending knee injury shortly after joining Liverpool last year, said: “We’ll be looking to take this win into the next league game against Sunderland.

“They’re in good form so we’ll definitely be looking to put a starter out there. We need the three points so we’ll be going out all guns blazing.

“It’s a really good start for us in the cup. Obviously things haven’t gone as well as we would have liked in the league so we’re looking to do as well as we can in this competition, and so far so good.

“It wasn’t a bad way to get my first Liverpool goal – I love taking set-pieces and I always try to put their keeper under as much pressure as I can, and I managed to do that by actually scoring.”

Dowie found the bottom corner with the only clinical Liverpool finish in a first half where she missed one effort and Rosie White hammered over the bar – both with the goal begging.

Liverpool’s second however arrived by unconventional means as Staniforth’s corner flew straight in past Nicola Hobbs shortly before the break.

Doncaster had chances of their own – most notably Beth England rattling the bar on 32 minutes and Little heading just over 15 minutes from full-time.

But despite better Belles performances all round they were unable to break through, and substitute Hodson’s strike from the edge of the box nine minutes from time was the final flourish for Liverpool.

And Belles boss Glen Harris believes lessons learned from the Liverpool defeat and in last week’s loss against Manchester City will stand them in good stead in FA Women’s Super League with BT Sport.

He said: “That’s us having a big lesson in WSL 1 football. Last week we played Man City and I think Liverpool this week showed the quality that’s in that league.

“I’m disappointed with our first half. We didn’t get to grips with their movement or their shape as such really.

“But second half was really, really positive. We were unfortunate to concede one at the end but second half we took the game to them, we got on the front foot more, and it’s just a shame we didn’t actually put that into practice in the first half.”