14 May 2023 , 17:57
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Marc Skinner insisted his Manchester United team "will be back" after losing their first major final at Wembley.
Man United were edged out by Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a clinical finish from Sam Kerr in the 68th minute, despite being the better team for large periods of a closely fought final. The Aussie forward again proved the difference after a superb cross from Pernille Harder.
But Skinner affirmed that his side will be back on the biggest stage following the gut-wrenching defeat. It was the WSL league leader's first major cup final since the club was reformed back in 2018.
"We will be back,” the United manager insisted after the game. "I have no doubt about that. I’m not going to stop. I'm not going away and this group of players are not going away.
"Anyone who thinks we are going away, we aren’t. These are just moments you have to win, we haven’t done that today, but we’ve given a really good account of ourselves.
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"I can promise you this, as I sit here, this fuels us. Any Manchester United fan listening, I can promise you now we will do everything to get back into finals and into the Champions League.
United were the better side in the first half and created chances for Nikita Parris and Millie Turner, who both forced good saves from Ann-Katrin Berger. Alessia Russo also went close early in the second half before Kerr's poacher finish changed the momentum of the game.
Skinner revealed afterwards that he believed it was a game of fine margins and that had his team scored first, they may well have lifted the cup.
"I can't look back and think negatively about this performance," he added. "The goal maybe is something we can do better on and we'd hate to see back. But I thought the girls were excellent, it is their first final.
"But in the first half, we've got to score those chances. If we score those chances then I think Chelsea would have to open up and we could counter them and move them out of their spaces.
"We managed the game pretty well and I'm proud of all of them. I think Sam (Kerr) is an excellent forward but we know the key to stopping her, but she got in behind."
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