Ian Chadband
Sam Kerr has been left savouring a goal she believes may be the most special of her garlanded career as she became Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer in England’s Women’s Super League.
Kerr’s 64th goal in the WSL that ignited Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Leicester on Sunday, ensured the Blues will be playing Champions League football again next season with third place guaranteed.
But it’s come too late to stop Manchester City annexing the Blues’ WSL English title, with Mary Fowler celebrating after coming on as a late sub and watching teammate Rebecca Knaak’s stoppage-time headed winner earn the 1-0 win at Liverpool that takes them to the brink of glory.
Kerr, whose future at Chelsea after this season is still in doubt with rumours she is on the way to play in the NSWL with Denver Summit, sounded quite emotional when speaking about the 13th minute expertly-taken header that took her past former teammate Fran Kirby’s club landmark.
“There have been some pretty special goals in my career, but I don’t know if it gets more special than this,” said Kerr afterwards.
Chelsea fans want the club’s talismanic striker to stay and will hope she wasn’t offering them a farewell salute when she told the club’s X site: “I’m absolutely stoked to break the record, absolutely honoured. It’s been amazing to score 64 goals in front of all of you – let’s finish off the season strong.”
Kerr really is finishing the season strong, increasingly looking as if she’s returning to her best after her long-standing absence through the ACL injury.
She would have broken the record last week if myopic officials hadn’t missed her header that crossed the line for what would have completed a hat-trick against Everton.
But no-one was left in any doubt this time as she nodded home Niamh Charles’s cross from the left to score 2296 days after her first goal for Chelsea. Lauren James then added a magnificent double within six first-half minutes.
“I probably didn’t play as much as I would have liked at the start of the season but you’ve seen when I get rhythm and games under my belt I start scoring,” said the 32-year-old Kerr.
“I’ve not scored as many in the league as I’d have liked, but to come back from an ACL and still be top scorer in the league for a club like Chelsea is great.”
At their Joie Stadium, Man City laboured but moved to the brink of their first WSL title in a decade after Knaak struck in the first of six minutes added on, her header squirming beneath Liverpool goalkeeper Jennifer Falk.
A win on the final day at West Ham will bring their first title in 10 years, even if Arsenal win their three games in hand.
Emily van Egmond’s Leicester, on the bottom of the table, will play WSL2 third-place finishers Charlton in a relegation play-off.
Tottenham survived a late scare to beat London City 2-1 even though the Lionesses’ Australian international Alanna Kennedy scored in the 90th minute.
AAP
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