Brian Sorensen praised Manchester City’s quality but called out a key moment in yesterday’s game that he felt incorrectly went against Everton Women, who fell to defeat at Joie Stadium.
Kerolin Nicoli put
the hosts ahead with deflected effort on 26 minutes, but a controversial call from referee Adewunmi Soneye five minutes from half-time ruled out a Martina Fernandez effort that would have drawn the Blues level.
City keeper Ayaka Yamashita parried a Karen Holmgaard cross into the path of the Spanish defender, who was on hand to smash home.
But the 21-year-old’s celebrations were short lived as the official adjudged Ruby Mace to have fouled the stopper, only for replays showing no foul to have been committed.
Vivianne Miedema made the game safe when she doubled side’s lead in the 63rd minute.
And Sorensen’s woes also extended to striker Katja Snoeijs leaving the field of play via a stretcher just before the break with what looks like an ankle problem, however the Dane remained gracious towards Andree Jeglertz’s team, but was not quite so kind to the officiating.
“It’s that consistency in those key moments,” he said. “Ten minutes before [the goal] Toni (Payne) has a one on one and the flag goes up and it’s nowhere near offside when I see it live.
“Those are the moments when going away against (Manchester) City who are a top, top team, that we have to rely on and get with us. And then we get in at half-time and we are trying to put energy into the team and freshen it up as we were running a lot, but second half it slipped further away from us.
“There were still moments when we could have got something; Hannah (Blundell) had a chance where she could have scored.
“But it was the first half where we had to go in level. Then, the team talk is different.
“But City are a great team and are league leaders for a reason, but there are a lot of positives. We looked solid defensively and we have people to come back and then we will have a lot of options.”
Courtney Brosnan was trusted with the captain’s armband and had a backline in front of her consisting of Holmgaard, Mace, Fernandez and Maz Pacheco.
Honoka Hayashi, Clare Wheeler and Rosa van Gool made up the midfield trio behind a front three of Payne, Snoeijs, and Ornella Vignola.
New signing Hannah Blundell was named amongst the substitutes and was joined Melissa Lawley, who was recalled from loan on Saturday morning, as well as Aurora Galli, who continues her journey to full match sharpness following a rotten run of injuries.
Everton held their own in the early stages, although Khadija Shaw tested Brosnan with a volley that the stopper palmed away.
Nicoli put the hosts ahead 26 minutes with a low strike that took a defection on its way in, but it would be the Toffees who had the next big chance 14 minutes later with what looked to have been the equaliser.
Holmgaard’s in-swinging corner was parried by Yamashita, and Fernandez was on hand to smash home from point-blank range, only for Soneye to disallow the goal after deeming Mace to have fouled the shot-stopper.
A harsh few minutes was made even worse for Sorensen on the stroke of half-time when Snoeijs left the field of play via a stretcher and was replaced by Kelly Gago.
Blundell made her debut when she replaced Pacheco at left-back after the break but it was City who had the second-half’s first chance through Lauren Hemp,
The England-international raced forward to meet Yui Hasegawa’s cross from the right, but squandered the chance when she failed to adjust her body.
Miedema doubled the Citizens’ lead on 63 minutes with a half-volley which effectively made the game safe.
Everton refused to quit and Sorensen would have been delighted to see Galli enter the field of play with 15 minutes of play remaining, but it was Blundell who could have made the final few minutes uncomfortable for the leaders seconds later.
The full-back was teed up by Yuka Momiki inside the area and let fly at goal only for Yamashita to get two hands behind it to palm the ball away.
Attention now turns to the FA Cup, as the Toffees travel to Alexander stadium to take on West Bromwich Albion on Thursday, 15 January, at 7.30pm GMT (2,30pm ET, 11.30am PT).
Sorensen’s side welcome WSL football back to Goodison Park with the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday, 23 January, at 7pm GMT (2pm ET, 11am PT).
