Shaw’s brace only good enough for draw

Despite a brace from national women's striker Khadija Shaw, her French club Bordeaux were forced to settle for a 4-4 draw with Stade de Reims in their opening game of the 2020-21 D1 Feminine season on Saturday at the Stade Louis Bleriot.

The 23-year-old was playing in her first league fixture in seven months as the coronavirus outbreak in France caused the2019-20 season to be cancelled with six matches to play.

Having scored a brace in her first game of her debut season last year, Shaw started her sophomore campaign in similar fashion and saw Bordeaux lead 4-1 after 62 minutes before surrendering their three-goal lead.

Bordeaux went behind less than a minute into the contest, with Melissa Gomes tapping home from close range. However, it was Shaw that turned provider for forward Katja Snoeijs who got on the end of her low cross for the equaliser in the ninth minute. Shaw got on the score sheet herself in the 24th minute, heading home a free kick from Eve Perisset. Shaw's strike partner Snoeijs added another in the 44th minute to go into half-time with a 3-1 lead.

It appeared that Bordeaux were cruising to an opening-day victory when Shaw was sent through by Claire Lavogez and finished calmly past Reims goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce to extend the lead to 4-1.

Defensive error

However, Reims got back into the game in the 68th minute, courtesy of an own goal by Bordeaux goalkeeper Romane Bruneau. Four minutes later they cut the deficit to one when Melissa Herrera capitalised on a defensive error and finished low into the net.

The comeback was complete in the first minute of stoppage time as Rachel Corboz scored from the penalty spot after Bordeaux's Ella Pallis committed a foul inside the box, forcing Bordeaux to share the points.

Shaw is hoping to improve on her inaugural season where she scored 10 goals, finishing as the team's second-highest goalscorer and tied for fourth overall in the league.

Bordeaux will host Paris Saint Germain in their first home game of the season on Sunday.