Williams snatches last-gasp WSL win for Manchester United against Aston Villa

For all their trading of world-class attackers this summer – Alessia Russo leaving for Arsenal as the World Cup golden boot holder Hinata Miyazawa and the Champions League winner Geyse arrived – Manchester United were indebted to the veteran substitute Rachel Williams for securing a winning comeback to start the Women’s Super League campaign.

Aston Villa had taken the lead through Rachel Daly, last season’s WSL golden boot winner, just two minutes after Kirsty Hanson had been sent off against her old club in a dramatic final quarter of this thrilling game in front of a 12,533 crowd, a record for Villa’s women’s side.

Lucía García swiftly equalised but it looked as if Villa had hung on for a point until Williams nodded home Nikita Parris’s cross in stoppage time. Poor Villa: they lost at home against United at the Bescot Stadium last term when Millie Turner scored in added time.

There was so much excitement about the football that Villa’s sweaty Castore kit was merely a footnote. Just six weeks since the World Cup final, perhaps it was not surprising that the two managers went with what they knew when naming their starting lineups, with both substitutes’ benches awash with new and exciting talent.

Two newcomers who did start, however, were integral to the most exciting elements of a somewhat undercooked first half. Geyse, who signed for United from Barcelona after their Champions League triumph, is the player charged with replacing Russo and the Brazilian particularly caught the eye, with her running down the inside-right channel matching her touch and eye for a shot.

Villa were grateful when their new goalkeeper, Daphne van Domselaar, continued the form she showed in helping the Netherlands to beat England in the Nations League on Tuesday, getting a crucial touch to palm aside Geyse’s drilled cross-shot in the 14th minute. Carla Ward, the Villa manager, was convinced the striker was offside when running on to Millie Turner’s long pass, but TV replays showed it was just the striker’s pace that enabled her to get clear.

Leah Galton, cutting in from the left flank, twice lifted shots over into the Holte End as United continued to dominate. Villa’s best chance of the first half came seven minutes before the interval when Alisha Lehmann’s excellent movement invited the perfect through ball from her captain, Rachel Corsie. The Switzerland winger’s first touch was composed but she lifted the ensuing shot over the crossbar.

Villa changed at the interval, introducing Ebony Salmon, their former player re-signed from Houston Dash, to play closer to Daly up front. Salmon was not wanting for motivation on her second debut for the club, playing against the club where she did not get a game.

Six minutes into the second period, however, it was United who came closest to opening the scoring. Ella Toone has had a trying time for England this year but she showed an exquisite dink to get away from Sarah Mayling down the left byline. Her shot from the most acute of angles required a smart save from Van Domselaar at the near post.

Villa wanted action when Maya Le Tissier deliberately moved to block Salmon’s run towards the area as the substitute tried to get on to Lehmann’s cross from the right. The home side had gradually found a way into the game and, as Geyse was withdrawn, presumably tiring on her WSL bow, Daly was unlucky in the extreme to see her shot, after Salmon’s touch down, clip the top of Mary Earps’s crossbar.

No one could accuse Villa of not going all out for the victory and at times they were 4-2-4 even out of possession. In a manic five-minute spell, Daly sprinted clear only to be denied by Le Tissier’s last-ditch tackle. The defender got some ball, but also a slice of the attacker.

Villa must have thought their luck was totally out when Hanson, one of their four former United players, was shown a straight red card for raising her studs high on Hayley Ladd in the 74th minute. Yet within two minutes they went ahead. Lucy Parker played a fine pass up to Adriana Leon and the substitute, signed from United this summer, crossed for Daly. She collected the centre from the right, turned and cracked in a shot for a 10th goal in her past six WSL games.

Yet this game continued to twist and turn. Within three minutes United were level. Katie Zelem’s corner towards Millie Turner flashed through to García and the Spain forward thrashed home the equaliser from six yards out.

In the 90th minute Van Domselaar dived dramatically to her left to turn aside Zelem’s shot from the edge of the area after Parris touched the ball down to her. Yet two minutes into the eight signalled for added time, Williams nodded into the bottom corner after Parris’s cross looped up off Danielle Turner.