Missy Bo Kearns hailed the sense of togetherness within the Liverpool squad following the Reds' hard-fought victory over Tottenham in the Women's Super League.
It was a breathless first half at Prenton Park, with Liverpool initially falling behind through Rosella Ayane's 17th-minute strike before Emma Koivisto's deflected effort swiftly restored parity for the hosts. Kearns notched what turned out to be the winning goal on the 35-minute mark; the Liverpool midfielder latching on to Koivisto's cut-back after some excellent work from Fuka Nagano in the build-up.
It was a huge win for the Reds, who now find themselves seven points clear of the drop zone. And Kearns believes Sunday's result was particularly impressive considering Liverpool are currently in the throes of an injury crisis, with six senior players still sidelined.
READ MORE: 'I'm not worried' - Matt Beard makes Liverpool 'pressure' claim amid injury crisis
READ MORE: Everton's Courtney Brosnan lifts lid on Goodison Park wish and Tim Howard inspiration
"I think the performance today has shown how together we are," the 21-year-old said after the game. "We haven’t let (injuries) affect us. We’re such a close group and we’ve got each other’s backs.
"You can see on the pitch, if someone is tackled, someone else is right there to help them. That’s what we need to have as a team because you go far when you work together.
"We wanted to get the three points today and that’s what we got so we’re absolutely buzzing. Now we can start looking up."
Its been a turbulent first season back in the WSL for Liverpool, who have won four, drawn two and lost eight of their 14 league games so far this term. But Kearns is confident the Reds are starting to find their feet in the top-flight and believes the win over Spurs could be a springboard for a strong end to the campaign.
"We’re starting to get used to each other," she said. "We know where to go and what different players are going to do so everything is starting to gel.
"It took us a few games to get used to the WSL. Things don’t happen overnight but you can see now that everything is starting to come together.
"It’s a massive result today. Every game we want to get three points and you can see that in the way we play. You could see the weight off our shoulders when we got the win."
Reflecting on her own personal form, Kearns added: "I said I wanted to add more goals to my game and I’m trying to get in goal-scoring positions. I’ve been flying lately I think and getting in the right positions so I’ve just got to keep it up."
The Reds now have nearly two weeks to recover before they take on Everton in the Merseyside derby on March 24. Brian Sorensen's side won 3-0 in the reverse fixture at Anfield back in September but Liverpool-native Kearns is hopeful she can help her team to victory when the two sides face off at Goodison Park.
"They’re the games that you want to be playing in," she said. "It’s a big game so I’m looking forward to it and we’ve just got to keep performing the way we’re performing."
READ NEXT:
Megan Finnigan opens up on Anfield 'career highlight' and gives Everton dressing room verdict
Matt Beard confirms major Liverpool injury blow ahead of Women's Super League return
Missy Bo Kearns on target as 'magic' Aggie Beever-Jones shines for Young Lionesses
Gabby George lifts lid on brilliant Everton form and gives Merseyside derby verdict
Matt Beard sends defiant Liverpool message as 'achilles heel' emerges against Leicester
