Man City striker hits milestone as title hopes boosted in West Ham rout

23 seconds. That's all it took for Manchester City to send a message to their rivals in the Women's Super League (WSL) title race.

The Blues had slipped to second place - albeit only on goal difference - after Chelsea's 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday night, prompting manager Gareth Taylor to urge his side to "step up and do (their) bit" in Sunday's clash with 11th-placed West Ham United.

“All we’ll do is attack the next game, do our best and secure the game, then maintain high levels which we’ve always done," the City boss said in his pre-match press conference. "Sometimes we’re successful, sometimes not, but I'm excited about this period. It’s a great opportunity for us."

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Certainly, against the Hammers, the Blues quickly showed they had no appetite for letting the opportunity to return to the summit of the WSL table slip from their grasp, with left-back Leila Ouahabi putting them in front after just 23 seconds at the Joie Stadium. It was a fine, side-footed finish from the Spain international but a goal which owed a lot to the ingenuity of Jess Park, who had done well to slalom through the West Ham defence on the right flank before cutting the ball back into Ouahabi's path.

It was the perfect nerve-settler for Taylor's side, with fans duly erupting into a chorus of Domenico Modugno's 'Volare', reworked to include the name of City's goalscorer. And the party atmosphere in east Manchester only intensified when the talismanic Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw doubled the hosts' advantage in the third minute.

The Jamaica international - who became the first player in WSL history to record a goal involvement in 10 consecutive appearances