After the final whistle sounded at Prenton Park on Saturday afternoon - heralding the end of Manchester United's maiden title challenge - Marc Skinner and his players gathered together in a huddle.
The Reds had signed off what transpired to be a pretty memorable campaign with a narrow win over Liverpool. But while they had triumphed in that particular battle - over the club's greatest old foe no less - they had ultimately lost the war.
United have dropped just 10 points all season, losing two league games. The fact that both of those defeats came against Chelsea - who cruised to a fourth straight WSL title with a comprehensive victory over Reading - has ultimately proved to be their undoing. READ MORE: Manchester United star Ona Batlle 'very close' to Barcelona switch There is perhaps some sad, sardonic poetry about the location of the Reds' anticlimactic season finale.
It was here on the opening day of the campaign that Chelsea had faltered. Katie Stengel's late penalty had won the day for Liverpool and offered the first tantalising sliver of hope to the Blues' closest challengers that maybe, just maybe, Emma Hayes' relentless winning machine might be beginning to run out of steam.
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