Mary Fowler showed she is a “real bright light” in bouncing back from seeing a penalty saved to send Manchester City into the Women’s League Cup final, manager Gareth Taylor said.
It had proved an eventful evening for the Australia forward against Arsenal at Meadow Park.
Fowler opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a stunning strike that swept across the face of goal and into the top right corner.
She was left looking devastated as her penalty was saved just moments after Arsenal, the two-time defending champions, had pulled level.
However, she emerged as the heroine, redeeming herself with a 95th-minute winner to ensure City avoided a second defeat by the Gunners in the space of five days.
“Mary was great – you know you wouldn’t have realised she missed the penalty,” Taylor added.
“There was no change at all in her level. You could see she was really determined to try and help the team and thankfully for us she got one over the line at the end.”
Former Arsenal and Scotland defender Jen Beattie agreed that Fowler “was the difference” for City.
“Mary Fowler has been consistent. She was outstanding throughout the game. She offered herself in so many scenarios to try and get on the ball and make things happen,” former England defender Anita Asante added on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
Taylor said that he was pleased to see Fowler in “hot form” recently, having netted five goals and registered three assists in her past five Women’s Super League games.
It is this kind of form, along with Aoba Fujino’s impressive performances on the opposite wing, that appeared to keep Chloe Kelly out of Taylor’s starting line-up before the England international secured a loan move to Arsenal.
“I think she’s got such ability to be able to play in any of the three positions in the front line,” Taylor said.
“I know she doesn’t like playing the number nine but I think she does a really good job.
“When you trust Mary and she’s feeling confident, then you see the real best of her.”
