Brian Sorensen felt the defeat at the hands of London City Lionesses was not something Everton Women deserved as an Isobel Goodwin brace handed the visitors their first WSL win of the season.
The Blues pulled one back through Yuka Momiki, who scored her first competitive goal for the Toffees from the spot on 71 minutes, which sparked a flurry of chances for the hosts, but Jocelyn Precheur’s side held firm thanks largely to goalkeeper Elene Lete, to escape with all three points.
And Sorensen, who struggled
to hide his disappointment at the result not yielding anything for his side’s efforts, admitted that his team need to be sharper, was also quick to praise the quality of their opponents as well as the ‘amazing’ atmosphere generated by the Goodison Park crowd.
“We started the game a bit differently then in the previous games, and I think it worked; we want to be a bit more pragmatic, more conservative, and then we created a big chance through Toni [Payne] and if we get in at the back post, we score,” he said.
“And those are the moments we need to take.
“Then they score on a set piece, and it drops down to her [Goodwin] and she smashes it in.
“They are a good team with good players and we have to battle our way back into it.
“Second half, we didn’t start as well as I would have hoped, and for their second goal we were split and they got in and scored.
“The reaction from our bench was superb, which is exactly what I want. We get back in, score, and then create enough chances to at least get a point. We need to be super sharp, at both ends of the pitch, but I didn’t feel the girls deserved this today.
“The atmosphere was amazing, it’s a joy to play in. I don’t feel there is any pressure on the girls as we want to win every game we go into.
“Sometimes it is not to be.”
Toni Payne, Kelly Gago and Karen Holmgaard were the trio of changes made by Sorensen from the side that lost 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur last time out, replacing Momiki, Rosa van Gool and Katie Robinson, who all dropped to the bench.
And it was two of the three Blues changes who were the first to threaten, as Payne drove down the right before delivering an enticing centre that was inches away from being met by Gago.
London City were keen to show that they could pose a threat and returned fire five minutes later through Wassa Sangare. The teen unleashed a powerful drive on the edge of the are after a Nikita Parris’ corner was only half-cleared, but her rasping effort was charged down by an excellent defensive block from Clare Wheeler.
The set-piece threat was clear, but it was one Everton did not heed as they found themselves behind on 13 minutes. Once again, a corner was not dealt with and Goodwin made no mistake from inside the six-yard box.
The hosts searched for an equaliser and had a possible shout for a penalty just after the half-hour mark. Payne was fed by Wheeler, and the Nigeria forward beat her marker to the ball before the two collided in the area. The crowd was adamant but the referee waved away the appeals.
Everton continued to press but found London City’s Lete in sparkling form.
First, the stopper repelled Payne’s 25-yard drive before the Spaniard palmed away a Gago chance, after the Toffees’ forward skipped away from Elena Linari to get her shot away.
Payne continued to torment the visitors, and her lofted ball from the right was close enough to see Lete having to tip it over the bar, as Everton pushed for an equaliser.
But it was London City who doubled their lead on 58 minutes as Goodwin got her second. Parris was freed by Lotta Lindstrom, and the former Blue found the oncoming England U-23 star, who volleyed home to give the Toffees a mountain to climb.
Sorensen rang the changes but the crowd was somewhat surprised to see Gago and Payne make way for Momiki and Rosa van Gool, while Snoeijs was replaced by Honoka Hayashi.
But the changes very nearly paid off as Hayashi got on the ball and teed Vignola on the edge of the box. The derby day hero cut-in on to her favoured left foot but Lete produced another fine save to maintain her side’s two-goal advantage.
But the London City keeper could do nothing on 71 minutes as Momiki made no mistake from 12 yards after the Japanese forward was upended by Jana Fernandez, leaving Ryan Atkin no choice but to point to the spot.
The Blues peppered the visitors’ goal but Lete justified her status as player of the match with a number of important stops, including two headers from van Gool and Robinson deep into stoppage time, ensuring the visitors left Merseyside with all three points.
Everton Women now have a break from the WSL as they travel to the Joie Stadium to face Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday, 24 September at 7pm BST (2pm ET 11am PT).
The Toffees play their first ever fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, 12 October at 12pm BST (7am ET, 4am PT), and won’t return to Goodison until Sunday, 19 October, when Sorensen’s side take on Nottingham Forest Ladies in their second League Cup fixture.
Further fixture information can be found here.
