The Reds had several chances in Sunday’s clash at Joie Stadium but a brace from Khadija Shaw before the interval gave the home team command.

That advantage was supplemented by Jill Roord and Gracie Prior goals during the second half, preventing Beard’s side from adding to a run of three consecutive wins.

Reflecting on how the game played out, the manager told Sky Sports post-match: “First half, I did get it wrong – we needed to adapt things quicker.

“I felt tonight we had so many chances to score. They could have gone 1-0 up where it hit the post and then Leanne [Kiernan] has had two great chances.

“Ceri [Holland] had a chance going through. We had another two or three opportunities beyond them. It could have been 6-4, to be perfectly honest with you.

“We were too passive in the first half, we didn’t break forward quick enough. We were too slow to get into positions to play and we were too transitional.

“We were worried about maybe turning the ball over and being countered on, but if you don’t get in the positions you’re not going to possess the ball. I thought the second half was that little bit better.

“It’s a frustrating night for us.”

Liverpool will now have a fortnight without a fixture as the season pauses for the latest round of international competition.

They will return to action by travelling to Crystal Palace on Sunday March 2, and Beard was asked what he wants to see more of from his players in the weeks ahead.

“It’s the belief that we can do it against these top sides,” he replied. “I think because of the season that we’ve had, we’ve had a little bit of doubt in these games against the top teams.

“But like I said to the girls before the game, since we have been back in the Super League we have picked up 21 points against the top sides in the division. So we know we can do it, it’s just having that little bit of belief.

“We’ve just got to get our heads down on the training ground and continue to work hard. It has not been a disastrous start since the turn of the year, so we’ve just got to keep our heads up and keep going.”

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