Everton manager Willie Kirk is hoping that his side’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Chelsea will act as a catalyst for future success at the club.
The Blue Girls caused one of the shocks of the round as goals from Lucy Graham and Valerie Gauvin saw Kirk’s side defeat the Barclays FA Women’s Super League champions 2-1 at Goodison Park on Sunday.
The victory ended Everton’s nine-match losing run against those sides labelled as the Barclays FA Women’s Super League’s ‘top three’ and was evidence that this season’s top three could be a little less predictable than in previous years. Speaking to FA Women’s Super League Full-Time ahead of The Blue Girls’ Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final at Birmingham City tomorrow night, Everton boss Kirk admitted that he is hoping that Sunday’s result will act as a catalyst for the club’s future success.
“It was important for both the players and myself to get that result” said Kirk. “I had been saying for a while that I think we can compete but I have had nothing tangible to point to people and say ‘I told you’.
“That first win against the top three was important, teams who go on to be successful over a number of years always talk about that first trophy, that first cup, that first league title so if that’s our first win against the top three, I am hoping that we can pick up a few during the season.”
That victory over Chelsea has potentially left Everton just 90 minutes away from a first Vitality Women’s FA Cup final in six years. Manager Kirk’s summer recruitment undoubtedly helped his side win their quarter-final tie, however, six of those players who started against the South West Londoners were in the squad for Everton’s 5-0 fifth round victory at Bristol City in February. Kirk went on to pay tribute to some of the longer serving members of his squad who continue to step up with the increased level of competition at the club.
He added “We awarded new contracts on the basis of the players’ ambition and the potential that some of them have.
“You look at some of the performers at the weekend, Dan Turner, Meg Finnigan, Simone Magill, Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah came on and done her 10-15 minutes which was important, so the players that have been here previous to me and from the start of my reign have all stepped up.
“They have improved themselves and I would hope that myself and my staff have had a say in that improvement.
“The club is in a really good place, everyone is here because we want them here and players who have that little bit of Everton history have all stepped up to the mark.”
Should Everton record a victory at Birmingham City on Wednesday evening, they would need to take another big scalp in the final. The Blue Girls would come up against either Manchester City or Arsenal at Wembley, two sides who the Merseyside club have poor records against. Past results don’t count for too much though with Everton looking to re-write history in what is a new era for the club.