Everton put the horrors of last season’s relegation behind them with a hard fought victory at Aston Villa, their first league win since 2013. The blues needed a bit of luck along the way with a fortuitous own goal, but Andy Spence’s side battled well as they look to bounce straight back up to WSL1.
Villa, who finished 4th last season winning 6 of their 9 home games, had the better start. Katie Wilkinson, signed from local rivals Birmingham City, tested Everton keeper Levell early on and from the resulting corner Maddy Cusack saw her header cleared off the line.
Having survived the early pressure, Everton created a chance of their own. Captain Michelle Hinnigan’s cheeky back heel going just wide after good work from Kelly Jones. Two minutes later Everton had the lead, albeit in unusual fashion. Paige Williams’ cross seemed harmless, but the clearance ricocheted off Villa defender Elisha N’Dow and into the net.
Buoyed on by an impressive 300-strong crowd, Aston Villa continued to work hard to break down the blues’ defence. Alicia Robinson’s long-range effort was rather ambitious and Wilkinson tried to re-create the free-kick magic that won the Villain’s FA Cup clash over Yeovil the week before.
As Villa pressed, they became increasingly open to the Everton counter-attack, with Lucy Whipp and Danielle Turner proving dangerous. Turner showed her skill on 59 minutes, beating two Villa defenders before smashing the ball home to give the visitors a bit of breathing space.
The game became stretched as the young legs on both sides tired. Everton might have added a third through Kelly Jones, but the midfielder’s shot flew well over the bar. Whipp also saw her effort saved by the impressive Villa number 1, Caitlin Leach, with 5 minutes left.
At the other end, Villa grabbed one back through debutant Abi Cottam; the substitute pouncing on the rebound after Levell parried her initial shot. The goal sparked a last minute push from the home side but Everton held their nerve to record a long-awaited win.
