Ornella Vignola struck twice in the second half to ensure Everton Women made it five wins from five at Goodison Park this season, as well as ensuring the Toffees continued a perfect start to the Subway Players Cup with victory over WSL 2 leaders, Newcastle United.
A goalless first half was dominated by the home side, who had beaten Birmingham City in their opening group game, yet the Magpies proved a tough nut to crack.
But the Spaniard was to have the final say with a brace in the final ten minutes
of normal time to lift the Blues up to fourth in the table, placing them in a strong spot for qualification to the knockout stages.
Following last weekend’s loss to London City Lionesses, as well as packed schedule for the next two weeks, Scott Phelan made nine changes to his starting XI, with only Vignola and Rion Ishikawa retaining their places.
That meant starts for club Rylee Foster-Inman in goal, with Megan Finnigan coming into the heart of defence, behind a midfield that included both Honoka Hayashi and Aurora Galli, the latter impressing during the London City clash.
Hannah Cain – on the scoresheet in the last game after coming off the bench – was joined in the side by Noemie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala, the latter of which making her first appearance for the Blues since her move from Leicester City over the summer.
Hannah Silcock – also restored to the side – created the game’s first chance. The centre-half lofted a pinpoint long pass to Cain, who was unable to make it two goals from two as her effort whistled just beyond the far post.
Mouchon thought she had broken the deadlock on 15 minutes when she reacted the quickest to fire home the rebound from Silcock’s effort, but the 23-year-old was deemed to be offside as the game remained goalless.
Minutes later and Mouchon turned creator when she fed Cain after some impressive hold-up play, but the Wales international saw her effort strike the post with Anna Tamminen beat.
Everton continued to pile on the pressure and Vignola tested Tamminen again just before the break, with the Newcastle stopper having to parry the Spaniard’s long-range strike.
Into the second half and the visitors were forced into a change when Tamminen had to be replaced with Kayla Rendell on 52 minutes.
The Magpies looked to play on the counter attack as they tried to repel their hosts, but it was the Toffees who was the more dangerous, with Galli blazing over the crossbar on the hour mark when she met Cain’s inviting cross.
With frustrations growing amongst the crowd, Phelan looked to the bench and introduced Clare Wheeler, Maz Pacheco, and Yuka Momiki in place of Ishikawa, Mouchon and Rantala.
But it was Vignola who broke the deadlock on 81 minutes with a fantastic long-range effort into the top-right corner that gave Rendell no chance.
And the 22-year-old made the game safe when she added a second three minutes later.
Wheeler did the groundwork and managed to find the Spanish star with a cut-back cross, and the forward finished confidently to ensure that the Blues made it two wins from two in this season’s Subway Players’ Cup, as well as a trio of wins over Newcastle in the last three seasons in this competition.
Next up for the Toffees is WSL action against Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Sunday, before Phelan’s side head to Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United in Everton’s third Subway Players’ Cup game of the season, before the Blues conclude this month of fixtures with a home league game against Manchester United on Saturday, 31 October.
