Everton Women’s unbeaten record at Goodison Park this season was ended this afternoon as Brian Sorensen’s Aston Villa took advantage of a slow start by the home side to claim all three points.
Noelle Maritz put the visitors ahead inside five minutes, before the impressive Amalie Vangsgaard made it two just after the half-hour mark.
The Dane made it three five minutes after the restart, but the Villains were left hanging on as a manic final 15 minutes saw goals from Holly McNamara and substitute Noemie
Mouchon set up a nail-biting finale to the contest, but it proved to be in vain as Scott Phelan’s side paid the price for another slow start to a contest – something that poses concern for the head coach.
Courtney Brosnan returned in between the sticks and was trusted with the captain’s armband, behind a backline of full backs’ Hannah Blundell and Maz Pacheco, who flanked the central pairing of Hannah Silcock and Naomi Layzell.
Ruby Mace and and Aurora Galli were assigned to sit behind Yuka Momiki, while a forward line saw McNamara supported by Hannah Cain and Ornella Vignola, the latter looking to add to her brace in the midweek win over Newcastle United.
It was the visitors who started the brightest and were ahead on four minutes, Maritz’s effort fortunately rebounded off the near-post and evaded Brosnan.
Cain looked for a reply ten minutes later, but Akane Okuma was equal to her low effort, as the Blues struggled to get to grips with the tempo.
And Vangsgaard touch advantage when doubled the Villains’ lead with an audacious attempt from 30-yards on 32 minutes as the home crowd and Phelan looked on in disbelief. The forward shook off Layzell and produced a moment of magic that punished a lacklustre Everton, who were second best in every area.
Five minutes after the break and it was three. Maritz was afforded far too much time on the left flank and picked out Vangsgaard to poke home at the front post.
A frustarted Phelan looked to his bench for a reaction and introduced Jutta Rantala and Clare Wheeler in place of Cain and Galli.
Mouchon and Rion Ishikawa then replaced Vignola and Silcock as the Blues searched for answers to the Villains’ dominance.
The changes yielded the desired response as Wheeler somehow managed to find her Everton compatriot McNamara, who arrowed home with her first touch to give the Evertonians hope with 11 minutes remaining.
Mouchon’s cross-cum-shot then evaded the reach of Okuma with the game heading into added time to give the Gwladys Street hopes of completing the comeback, but it would be to no avail as Sorensen’s side saw out the final few minutes to claim a rare win over the Blues, who will have to have quickly pick themselves up as they prepare for Subway Players’ Cup action this coming Wednesday.
The fixture in question sees the Blues head to Yorkshire as the Toffees take on Sheffield United on 28 October at 7pm GMT (2pm ET, 11am PT).
