Vicky Jepson’s side made a bright start against an opponent with intentions on the title this term but were undone by quickfire doubles in either half, rendering Courtney Sweetman-Kirk’s late penalty mere consolation before the away team added a fifth.
Kim Little, who had already missed an early chance after surging into the box to meet a pass, made no mistake on 20 minutes when she reached Katie McCabe’s low cross from the left first and nudged a finish beyond Anke Preuss.
Crucially, the visitors gave the Reds no time to recover from the concession, striking again within moments.