WSL round-up: Fahey helps fire Liverpool back to WSL

Republic of Ireland international Niamh Fahey opened the scoring for Liverpool as they secured their WSL comeback after two years away as a 4-2 victory at Bristol City saw them crowned Championship winners with two games to spare.

Fahey's opener for the Reds was cancelled out by Aggie Beever-Jones but goals from Jasmine Matthews and Katie Stengel put Liverpool 3-1 up.

Abi Harrison replied for Bristol City before a Missy Bo Kearns effort wrapped up the win for the away side in front of a Championship-record crowd of 5,752 at Ashton Gate.

It marks further success at Liverpool for boss Matt Beard, who returned last summer for a second stint in charge having overseen WSL title wins in 2013 and 2014 during his first.

Beard's side have been unbeaten since losing their opening game of the campaign against London City Lionesses, and he told liverpoolfc.com: "It's not easy to go 19 games unbeaten in the league and I'm incredibly proud of the players and the staff with what we've achieved.

"I say this every week, but we work incredibly hard at the training ground, on the training pitch and you don't go 19 games unbeaten in any level of football without putting the hard work in that we have done - and we've got the rewards for that.

"Everything comes down to hard work, and the atmosphere around the training ground has been absolutely brilliant."

Elsewhere Beth England and Sam Kerr each netted braces as Chelsea returned to the Women's Super League summit with a 5-0 victory over Reading at Kingsmeadow.

Strikes from Jessie Fleming and England just before and shortly after the break put the hosts two goals up, and Kerr then scored twice from close range, in the 66th and 77th minutes. England subsequently completed the rout with a penalty in