Ground: Old Trafford (capacity 74,310)
Location: Manchester, England
Ticket price: £15 - Pay online
I’d been made aware by a BBC article some months ago of the Manchester derby between the two women’s teams being contested at Old Trafford. Normally, the women’s side play their home matches at the 12,000 capacity Leigh Sports Village, also the home of rugby team Leigh Leopards, as well as Manchester United’s reserve team.
Ostensibly ostracised in the outskirts of Manchester, Old Trafford lies over an hour away from both major train stations in the city. A tram service operates from the station to near the ground via the Altrincham line on Zone 4, however I decided to take the bleak walk through the blustery winds and bellowing rain to reach Manchester’s crowning red jewel (held together by duct tape and dreams according to some cynics).
Old Trafford from the outside boasts an impressive stature. Located near a large retail park, scores of stalls and club-themed eateries scanned your stride as you strolled towards the ground. One such house had an electronic billboard paying tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton; another proudly donning a large United flag. Old Trafford is not just a stadium; it’s the centrepiece of a small footballing village.
A crowd of over 43,000 (a record attendance for the women’s team) watched on as Manchester United’s arch-rivals Manchester City sank the hosts in their backyard. United took the lead early on from a Katie Zelem penalty after Alex Greenwood handled the ball in the box. Jill Roord pulled one back 11 minutes later after a great cutback found her in space to sidefoot home from close range. City went 2-1 up after a mistake from the United defence was punished by the tenacious Bunny Shaw. Her layoff found Lauren Hemp (arguably the woman of the match) who placed it high in the top corner, out of reach of England international Mary Earps.
Earps had made a few impressive saves to keep City at bay, however a short back pass from Maya Le Tissier caused her to panic, punting the ball into the legs of the onrushing Bunny Shaw. Earps could only watch in horror as the ball ricocheted into the net. United didn’t really threaten much, especially when Laia Alexandri was sent off, causing City to sit back to protect their lead.
Women’s games tend to encourage a family friendly atmosphere from my experience and this game, despite the rivalry between the two clubs, gave off the same vibe. Case in point – I was sandwiched between two families, one supporting United and the other City!
Manchester United Women 1-3 Manchester City Women 19/11/23
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