With the FA Cup final still to come and fresh off the back of last weekend's closely-fought Manchester derby that sealed Champions League qualification, Marc Skinner brought in Melvine Malard, Dominique Janssen and Anna Sandberg.
Jayde Riviere's injury and Aoife Mannion’s suspension also brought a slight reshuffle, with the boss addressing the lack of natural right-back by opting for a new 3-5-2 system.
With both teams able to finish second ahead of kick-off – and avoid an extra round of European qualifying - early goals for either side from Chloe Kelly and Ella Toone had the game delicately balanced at the half-time interval.