Liverpool earn a point against London City Lionesses in the Women's Super League after struggling in the first half defensively and coming back out in the second half with renewed passion saw London City fail to take three points back to London with them.

The first half was evenly matched between the two sides with end to end football being played by Liverpool and London City but the visitors went into half-time with the lead.

Beata Olsson scored a penalty for Liverpool before 20 minutes had gone to give them the lead in their home stadium but it did not stay that way for long for Gareth Taylor's side as Freya Godfrey stole the ball from Khiara Keating in her own area to equalise for the visitors.

Kadidiatou Diani gave Eder Maestre's side the lead on the brink of half time with one goal between the two sides at the break.

Liverpool came out vying with hunger in the second half and control the possession but their woes in the final third and their decision making in front of goal lack the equaliser that Taylor's side were searching for until an own goal from Jana Fernández in the dying minutes of the game earn the Reds a point at home.

Story of the Match

Liverpool's starting eleven made changes in defence from their Subway Players Cup game against Manchester United with Jenna Clark and Alejandra Bernabé coming back into the side. Kirsty MacLean comes into the midfield for Marie Höbinger before the front four sees Vivien Endermann, Cornelia Kapocs, Natalia Ramos and Olsson for the Reds.

London City's line up sees Elena Lete in goal with Maria León coming back into the side and Lucia Corrales replacing Janni Thomsen at right back. Daniela Arques and Grace Geyoro both start after being subbed on against West Ham United midweek with Daniëlle van de Donk and Godfrey either side of Alexia Putellas and Diani leading the flank for the London side.

Godfrey gets the game underway in St Helens and Liverpool get a bright start after stealing the ball from the London City back line and MacLean gets an early shot of at Lete.

Godfrey cannot get the ball past Keating on the line after a Fernándezcross into the box and it shows intent from the visitors at St Helens Stadium.

Keating spills a cross from Alexia before Arques shoots the ball over the crossbar but London City Lionesses have started the better of the two with attacking intent in the game.

Liverpool were almost punished after Keating passes the ball out to Diani, who gets the ball to Van de Donk but Clark comes across the box to defend Keating's net and keep the scores level in the opening ten minutes of the game.

Bernabé twists her way towards the London City box but the opposition defence is able to keep the left back at bay.

Liverpool have settled into the game in the opening 15 minutes winning a corner after Kapocs drives into the box and is blocked by the defence before they win a penalty after Mapi León pulls Clark down in the box.

Olsson steps up to take the penalty for Liverpool and strikes it into the top left hand corner past Lete to give the Reds the lead just under twenty minutes gone.

London City look to go up the other end and level the scores, winning a corner of their own after the restart but Geyoro could not get the shot off and then get denied a penalty of their own after the London City players protest a handball.

Godfrey equalises for the visitors after Keating loses the ball inside her own box after the English winger attacks the goalkeeper and steals it with the scores level at 23 minutes played.

A cross into the London City box does not find any Liverpool player before the visitors try to break before Olsson forces Lete into a save from a shot outside the box and deny her of a second goal.

Endermann crosses the ball into the box before picking up the second ball after London City clear it and cuts it back to Alice Bergström who cannot find another player for the Reds to take the lead again.

Diani jabs the ball towards the Liverpool net but Keating keeps hold of the ball, pushing the ball up the pitch to attack.

Ramos takes Liverpool's free-kick in the blustering windy conditions but goes well over the top of the crossbar with the scores level after 30 minutes.

Van de Donk clips a ball over the Liverpool defence for Godfrey to run onto but London City cannot find space to attack Keating in the net and the visitors pass the ball around the pitch.

Quick movement from Maestre's side sees Alexia play in Corrales down the left hand side but the angle is too tight for the left-back to get the shot off.

Mapi León finds Alexia in the middle of the pitch allowing the two time Ballon D'Or winner to run towards the net but the attacking transition cannot find the net after the cross from Corrales into the box.

Bernabé cannot keep the ball down after a deep cross from Bergström with the ball sailing over the crossbar just before half-time.

Diani gives London City Lionesses the lead in Liverpool after a defensive error from Bernabé allows Van de Donk to pass the ball to the French striker for her third Women's Super League goal this season.

London City go into half-time the happier team of the two while Liverpool will have to spend the 15 minute interval working on how to bury chances into the back of the net for a chance to get back into the game.

Liverpool Renewed Hunger

Both teams come out for the second half where London City replace Corrales with Thomsen at right-back. Liverpool make no changes but look to fight back in the game and gain some points over the next 45 minutes.

The Reds earn a free kick after Fuka Nagano goes down from Van de Donk and Liverpool take it quickly to pass around the London City half before a loose pass from Grace Fisk is picked up by Diani.

Bernabé hits the ball into the London City box and it was threatening enough that the Reds got a corner out of it which scrambles around the box before another corner is taken by Ramos.

Clark leaps up to head the ball but cannot guide it goal bound and Lete earns a goal kick for the visitors.

Liverpool are moving the ball well in the second half after a cross in from Endermann meets Olsson but the Liverpool goal scorer cannot get it goal bound as the Reds struggle to get the ball into the back of the net.

The Reds pile on the pressure for Maestre's side in the second half, looking hungry for an equalising goal at St Helen's Stadium but cannot force the final product in the attacking third of London City's half.

London City pile the box with players to stop Liverpool attacking the net and Bernabé's cross finds Ramos but Diani retrieves the ball back for the away side.

Taylor's side are more composed on the ball in the second half but lack the goals to make up for it, targeting Endermann to get on the ball and rush towards Lete in the London City goal.

London City get forward in a rare moment in the second half with Alexia wriggling through to the box before the ball is cleared but only as far to Fernández as the shot takes a deflection and lands in Keating's hands.

Elena Linari and Poppy Pattinson both come on for Mapi León and Godfrey for changes with just over 20 minutes left in the game as the London side struggle to keep possession of the ball from Liverpool in the second half.

Ramos shoots for the Reds in an attempt to equalise but Lete collects the ball easily with Nagano controlling the game from the midfield for the hosts.

Keating panics under pressure and give the ball away giving Diani a chance at the net but Fisk clears the risk of a third goal for London City.

Liverpool make a change taking Enderman off and being replaced by Mao Itamura with 15 minutes to go in the game.

The Reds miss the chance to equalise after a cross from Kapocs loops to the back post but hits the frame of the goal.

Nicole Anyomi comes on for London City replacing Diani and being the out and out striker for Maestre's side. Lily Woodham replaces Bernabé in a like-for-like change at left back for the Reds.

Nagano sweeps the ball out to Woodham but the Welsh international cannot dig it out from underneath her feet and Lete picks the ball up with ease to redistribute it to her team.

Höbinger comes on for Ramos while Liverpool attempt to find the equaliser against a dominant London City side with ten minutes of the game remaining.

Another corner for Liverpool comes after Bergström's cross is nicked by a London City player but then the Swedish player loops the shot over the crossbar.

Anyomi missed the chance to extend London City's lead after squaring the ball straight back to the Liverpool defence when she was in the box leaving the Reds to break down the other end.

Woodham cuts back when she nears the London City net but Lete collects the ball to keep the score in favour of her team despite the constant call for need in the second half by the Spanish goalkeeper.

Liverpool equalise through a Fernández own goal at the back post in added time and the Reds persistence in the second half pays off to get that point back at St Helen's Stadium.