Ella Toone hat-trick inspires Manchester United to derby victory in WSL

Ella Toone hit a hat-trick as Manchester United triumphed 4-2 against Manchester City in a chaotic Women’s Super League derby at the Etihad Stadium.

United surged into a 3-0 lead in the opening 36 minutes, with Toone, back in the starting line-up after injury, netting twice either side of a controversial Leah Galton finish.

Having been guilty of some seriously sloppy play, City subsequently fought back, with Vivianne Miedema and Rebecca Knaak scoring headers just before the break.

But just moments into the second half they were then punished for another error as goalkeeper Khiara Keating’s kick hit Elisabeth Terland and former City player Toone stroked in her third.

What was only a second win for United in 10 WSL meetings between the teams, and a first away from home, saw the two sides swap places in the table as Marc Skinner’s side went third.

City’s title bid looks in significant trouble, Gareth Taylor’s side lying nine points behind leaders Chelsea in fourth, while United and second-placed Arsenal are both seven points off the top.

United and City play each other again on Wednesday in the League Cup quarter-finals at Leigh Sports Village.

City were still without the sidelined trio of top-scorer Khadija Shaw, Lauren Hemp and skipper Alex Greenwood, while another absentee from their matchday squad was Chloe Kelly.

It had been reported ahead of kick-off that United were interested in signing Kelly on loan, but Taylor said in a pre-match interview the winger had sustained an ankle problem.

The opening few minutes of the contest saw the tone set. City lost possession, leading to Terland striking wide, and Keating then saved a Toone effort, having given the ball away.

While City looked shaky at the back, United were rising to Skinner’s pre-match call for energy, personality and fearlessness and, after Galton fired into the side-netting, the visitors grabbed the lead in the 14th minute when Terland’s miskick teed up Toone to dink a finish over Keating.

Seven minutes later they had a second in contentious circumstances as City failed to deal with a corner, with the ball bouncing off Laia Aleixandri and coming to Galton, who turned and fired in.

Replays suggested the effort could have been disallowed for offside, but with no flag going up and no VAR, it stood.

Aoba Fujino and Mary Fowler struck unsuccessful attempts as City looked to fight back before Keating endured a torrid few minutes. She again gave the ball to a red shirt, Terland shooting over, then passed to team-mate Leila Ouahabi in the box only to see Celin Bizet nip in and the ball roll to Toone, who was left with a simple tap-in to make it 3-0.

This time City did fashion a swift response, pulling a goal back four minutes later as Miedema headed in from Mary Fowler’s cross.

And after exerting further pressure they got another in first-half stoppage time, Fowler again providing the delivery and new signing Knaak, on her league debut, nodding in.

It appeared City had regained their composure, but straight after the break they conceded again. It was another moment to forget for Keating as her kick was charged down by Terland and Toone pounced on the loose ball and slotted in to complete her treble.

The 20-year-old keeper looked distraught afterwards, crying out in frustration and pulling her shirt over her face before being consoled by team-mates.

City’s efforts to again battle back after that saw Jill Roord and Aleixandri head wide, while Fowler was denied by a great save by Phallon Tullis-Joyce as United saw out a famous victory