Everton delivered a stunning 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Walton Hall Park, driven by a spectacular first-half performance in the Women’s Super League.
Lucy Hope headed the Toffees in front after a strong 31 minutes for the home side, meeting a superb Sara Holmgaard delivery. Just eight minutes later Honoka Hayashi doubled their lead with a composed finish, slotting her strike into the bottom left corner.
The Blues remained dominant, working tirelessly at both ends of the pitch, determined to maintain their advantage. However, a late misstep allowed Mary Fowler to half the deficit with additional time still to play, converting from the spot after Yui Hasegawa was fouled inside the box.
But the hosts held their composure, a quality evident throughout the match, to secure a historic first-ever victory against Manchester City.
Everton set the tone early, showcasing the threat they would pose throughout the afternoon, as Katja Snoeijs registered the first attempt of the contest, driving into the area with a marauding run before sending her effort wide of the left post.
The Merseyside outfit then demonstrated their defensive unity, forcing City into a slow start, with Gareth Taylor’s side struggling to breach Everton’s structured and compact setup.
Toni Payne was a constant threat on the break, using her pace to trouble City’s backline. She surged down the left flank, carrying the ball from one six-yard box to the other, but the chance ultimately faded as her pass to the advancing Snoeijs missed its target.
Brian Sorensen’s side were rewarded for their outstanding first-half display around the 30-minute mark, proving their resolute attitude as they recycled play from a corner. With the ball on the right-wing Holmgaard swung in a pin-point delivery which was met by an on-rushing Hope. The Scot connected perfectly, glancing a bouncing header over the line to put Everton ahead.
Payne came close to doubling the lead shortly after, finding herself in a one-on-one situation with Kiara Keating. However, she carried the ball just slightly too wide as she tried to round the City keeper, who did well to close the angle and deny the striker.
Everton’s rapid counter-attacks continued to torment the Manchester side, as Hayashi displayed remarkable composure from the edge of the box to secure a commanding 2-0 lead into the break. Melissa Lawley lofted the ball towards the Japanese international, who remained calm, drilling a clinical strike past Keating.
Coming out of the interval, Gareth Taylor introduced young Lily Murphy, whose energy added a spark to his side. She drove into the box and delivered a dangerous ball across the area, but Everton held their shape superbly, putting in a disciplined team performance to limit the visitor’s opportunities once again.
Clare Wheeler reminded onlookers of Everton’s attacking prowess as she threaded a perfectly timed pass to send Payne through on goal. The 29-year-old utilised her pace and strength to break past the defensive line, but Kerstin Casparij managed to recover just in time, deflecting her shot behind for a corner.
With Brosnan yet to be forced into a meaningful save, it spoke volumes of Everton’s consistency throughout the match, with their focus evident at both ends of the pitch.
However, their clean sheet was undone in the final moments, as Fowler calmly converted from the spot with just one minute of added time remaining.
The away outfit pushed for an equaliser, but Everton’s resilience shone once again as Heather Payne slid in to thwart Murphy’s dangerous run down the left wing, securing Everton their hard-earned three points as they head into the Christmas break.
This result lifts the Blues to ninth, extending their gap from the relegation zone, whilst City have more work to do to close the gap to defending Champions Chelsea.
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