Everton have continued their stellar start to the new season by defeating a competitive West Ham United side 3-1 at Walton Hall Park this afternoon.
The Toffees had a 100% record coming into the game with three wins out of three so far this season in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and they went on to maintain that winning run.
Everton took the lead inside 10 minutes when a cross from the left found Nicoline Sorensen unmarked at the back post. She had time to control the ball and pick her spot and although Mackenzie Arnold got a glove to the shot, there was just too much power on it for the Australian to keep it out.
Despite the possession being very even in the first half, Everton certainly had the lion’s share of chances. That was until the 25th minute when the visitors levelled matters. A cross into the Everton box from Cecilie Redisch was headed away but only as far as Kenza Dali on the edge of the area. The French international controlled the ball well and drove her shot low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.
The teams went in level at the interval and despite Everton having the better opportunities, that was probably a fair reflection of events.
The game was on a knife edge in the second half with both sides stifling each other’s attacking threats. Valerie Gauvin thought she had given her side the lead when she poked the ball into the back of the net, however, she was denied by the linesman’s flag.
It was going to take something special to break the deadlock going into the last 15 minutes of the match and that’s exactly what Everton produced. A low ball into the penalty area reached Izzy Christiansen and with her back to goal, she laid it off for substitute Lucy Graham. The pass had the perfect weight on it for the Scot to strike the ball first time into the top corner from 25 yards to give her side the lead once again.
West Ham United responded excellently as they managed to pen Everton back into their own half and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the away side equalised. However, it wasn’t to be the case as Everton, in a rare reprieve from the West Ham United onslaught, managed to win a corner in stoppage time. The Hammers weren’t able to effectively clear the corner and it was Graham again who got on the end of the ball and hammered her first time shot into the net with her left foot.
The match ended 3-1 in Everton’s favour as The Blue Girls took away all three points. The Merseyside club continue to sit level on maximum points at the top of the table with Arsenal who won at Brighton & Hove Albion earlier in the day. The Gunners only edge out Willie Kirk’s side on goal difference.
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