After an inconsistent start to life in the WSL 2 Everton Ladies look set to stage a promotion push in the second half of the season after a resurgent victory over Watford in their final game before the summer break.
Goals from Paige Williams, Channy Boye-Hlorkah and captain Michelle Hinnigan ensured all three points for Andy Spence’s side, as the Toffee’s looked dominant throughout in front of their home crowd.
Early on Dan Turner sent a header crashing against the frame of the goal before Williams’ dipping effort nearly found the back of the net after just 15 minutes.
And before long the hosts supremacy paid off when Turner’s cross was bundled in by Williams at close range.
Watford had barely had a sniff at goal but looked to have weathered the storm until just before half time when Boye-Hlorkah, making her first start after two years out through injury, doubled Everton’s advantage with a ferocious effort that flew in to the top corner.
Having scored five goals in the last three games, there was still ample time for the Hornets to stage a comeback but all hope of that was extinguished when the instrumental Turner set up skipper Hinnigan for a sliding finish.
The visitors almost bagged a consolation goal through Sasha Anderson but Toffee’s keeper Kirstie Levell was alert to the striker’s crafty flick-on, palming it to safety with the help of her near post.
The result provided Everton with their first clean sheet of the season leaving them just one point behind third-placed Yeovil Town who they meet in their first game back after the international recess.
Watford however fell to the bottom of the table after London Bees secured their first win of the season.
Manager John Salomon spoke to the official FA WSL website after the game and rued his side’s late first half complacency.
“It’s a tough game. We played Everton a few weeks ago and we know they’re a good side and they were at their best I felt. They had a good game and we found it hard to deal with that.
“The most disappointing thing was conceding just before half-time because I think if we went in only 1-0 down, we had a Plan B to go to later on.
“The first part of our plan was always to lay the foundations to give us something to build on, but to concede that second goal was a bit of a killer.”
