Amid torrential rain at St Helens Stadium, the visiting side went ahead early on courtesy of Lea Schuller and enhanced the lead via a Mared Griffiths brace on the cusp of half-time.

Monica Jusu Bah and Maya Le Tissier were also on target for United during the second half, sandwiching a response from Kapocs.

The Reds substitute then produced a pair of clinical finishes from Lily Woodham assists late on to claim a treble and diminish the deficit.

Liverpool – for whom Fuka Nagano made a 100th appearance – were moving the ball slickly in the game’s earliest stages, but United got in front with just 10 minutes gone.

A clipped pass in behind to the left channel was brought under control by Schuller and she carried into the area before half-volleying the bouncing ball clinically past Khiara Keating.

Neatness in possession was not translating to chances for the Reds, with the visitors producing the more incisive play.

And United might have doubled their advantage on the half-hour mark.

Schuller slid an angled pass through for Jusu Bah to go one-on-one against Keating. A last-ditch sliding challenge from Sara Agrez perhaps impeded her slightly and the final finish was blocked by the Liverpool goalkeeper.

The half would end with the away side striking twice, though.

Both goals were scored by Griffiths, the first on 41 after play was spread out to the left, she moved past Lucy Parry inside the area and her hit deflected off Grace Fisk into the net.

Three minutes later, Griffiths was able to tap in easily yards out when Julia Zigiotti snaked towards goal and unselfishly squared to her teammate.

The Reds’ first genuine threat came in added time as Marie Höbinger’s crisp drive from the edge of the box was only narrowly wide of the left post.

Jusu Bah spurned a clear chance for a United fourth early in the second half, before Mao Itamura’s low shot from the ‘D’ bobbled just off target.

Liverpool gained more of a foothold and some attacking momentum as Gareth Taylor shuffled his options with five introductions from the bench.

But it was United who added to the scoresheet in the 72nd minute; Jusu Bah intercepted a Keating kick out and drove forward to guide in a rising strike.

A flowing Reds move in response merited a goal and got one, Natalia Ramos feeding Alice Bergstrom to the right and her low delivery dispatched by Kapocs.

The opposition immediately struck again as Le Tissier, up from the back, sent a curler beyond the reach of Keating into the bottom right corner.

Liverpool continued to play in search of an improved final product – and the combination of Kapocs and Woodham certainly found it.

Similar link-ups in both minutes 85 and 88 saw the latter from the left wing pick out her teammate in the middle to strike with aplomb.

Team

Liverpool: Keating, Parry (Ward, 46), Fisk (Clark, 57), Agrez (Shaw, 64), Woodham, Nagano (Ramos, 57), Höbinger, Trueman, Bergstrom, Itamura (Kapocs, 64), Enderby.

Unused subs: Kirby, Endemann, Olsson, Bernabe.

Next up

The Reds are back at St Helens Stadium on Sunday, hosting London City Lionesses in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Kick-off is 2pm GMT and tickets can be booked here.