London Bees: NA
Liverpool: O’Sullivan 6’; Thomas 13’, 33’; Evans 53’; Bergstrom 86’, 88’
Pre-Match
The Liverpool FC Women head to London for the upteenth time this season, this time for an FA Cup match with London Bees of the National League North. The Reds are seeking their first win of 2026 after drawing with London City in WSL play last weekend.
Gareth Taylor makes a raft of changes to the starting lineup for the cup tie. Denise O’Sullivan and Martha Thomas, both announced by the club as new signings just yesterday, are thrown right into the starting XI. It’s a completely changed back line in front of Jenna Falk. Sofie Lundgaard gets a rare start, and youngster Mazie Trueman gets her senior team debut in midfield.
First Half
Unfortunately the match is not being broadcast, so it will be a much briefer accounting of events. You may consider yourselves lucky for this.
Liverpool’s newest signings take very little time to announce themselves. Denise O’Sullivan scores a goal on her debut in just the 6th minute of play. She drills the ball home from close range off of a corner kick to give the Reds an early lead. Alejandra Bernabé is credited with the assist.
Martha Thomas, not the be outdone, scores a first half brace. The Scottish striker scores off of a corner in the 13th minute before finding the net again in the 33rd minute. Her second goal is a headed effort off of a cross from Alejandra Bernabé, giving the Spanish left back her second assist of the match.
Second Half
In typical fashion, Gareth Taylor makes no subs to start the second half. Hopefully he remembers he has a bench full of players he could use at some point this match.
Mazie Trueman puts the ball in the net for what she thinks is her first senior team goal at just 16 years old. the linesman raises the flag to chalk the goal off unfortunately. Welcome to the cruel, cruel world Maizie.
Liverpool have a fourth goal through defender Gemma Evans. It’s another goal coming as a result of a corner kick for the Reds, their third of the game. Alejandra Bernabé provided the assist again, racking up her third of the day.
Gareth Taylor realized his side are winning comfortably and he has a bench full of players, and so decides to make some substitutions. Risa Shimizu comes on for Lucy Parry, Lily Woodham for Ceri Holland, Kirsty MacLean replaces Denise O’Sullivan, and Alice Bergstron is on for Mia Enderby.
Liverpool have a fifth goal, and it’s a solo effort by Alice Bergstrom. She gets the ball outside of the box on the left side, cuts inside and smashes a shot into the goal.
Just moments later, Alice Bergstrom has a brace. This time it’s a cross from the left wing that she sends into the box, but the ball drifts into the goal for Liverpool’s sixth of the day.
That’s it for the day as Liverpool cruise to a 6-0 win.
Final Thoughts
It was a comfortable win over a side two divisions below Liverpool, so not too much to draw from the match itself. It was nice to see Denise OSullivan and Martha Thomas get goals in their Liverpool debuts. It would have been even better if Maizie Trueman’s goal had stood.
The true test of the revamped squad will be next Sunday when they return to WSL play to face Spurs. There is hope that Beata Olsson will be fit for the match after an injury layoff, but Anna Josenal is still weeks away from a return as part of the new look front line.
