Everton Women fell to their first continental cup defeat of the season when travelling away to face Manchester United, which bizarrely knocks both teams out of the cup.
The toffee’s were 3-0 down within the opening 20 minutes as Manchester United, who had yet to win a game in the competition, were determined to gain all 3 points. Jess Park found a route for Everton to get back into the game, reducing the deficit in the 25th minute.
The home side took the lead within the first minute when Boe Risa rose to head home a cross from the right after the blue’s failed to clear it. Sørensen’s team responded well at first and had some solid possession, but they had trouble turning that advantage into serious shots on goal.
However, the hosts were the biggest threat to goal. Rachel Williams was able to seize on a loose ball and poke her effort past goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and into the roof of the net as a result of the Everton defence not sufficiently clearing another cross in the box.
United’s third goal and a second for Boe Risa came from a scramble in the six yard box after the blue’s again failed to block another cross.
Manchester City loanee, Jess Park gifted Everton a route back into the game when Holmgaard’s superb pass over the United defence allowed her to avoid the offside trap, latch onto the ball, round the goalkeeper, and put it into the open goal.
Jade Moore scored United’s fourth goal, and luckily for her the ball ricocheted off the United defender and over the goal line before Courtney Brosnan could stop it.
Everton’s play intensified in the second half, with the introduction of Nicoline Sørensen as a half time substitute, the blue’s came close to goal early in the half.
When Karen Holmgaard knocked in a cross from two yards out in stoppage time, the toffees were able to gain a second.
In an interview with EvertonTV manager Brian Sørensen described the opening minutes as “catastrophic”. He stated that, “We were not there in anything. The first four times they attack, they score four goals, and if we look at ourselves, that’s just not good enough. Especially the things leading up to the two first goals.”
Everton Women are back in action on Wednesday the 14th of December, away to Tottenham. Today’s match away to Brighton has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. The blue’s are back at home to face Durham in the Continental Cup on Saturday the 17th of December, kick off is at 12.30 pm.
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