MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN 2, EVERTON LADIES 1
- Izzy Christiansen scores early to put City into the lead
- Everton resist dominant City’s attempts to score again
- Simone Magill levels the scores in the 77th minute
- Nikita Parris scores the winner 2 minutes later
Holders Manchester City Women needed another gear to beat a struggling Everton Ladies side 2-1 in this season’s FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup.
City did enough to beat the Toffees on Fireworks night after an early Izzy Christiansen goal but they needed put a show on at the end after Simone Magill had threatened to put a dampener on celebrations with a late header from a free kick in the 77th minute.
Nikita Parris popped up very quickly to restore the lead two minutes later after City learned not to be so complacent.
After an utterly dominant beginning to the game in which Izzy Christiansen, Nikita Parris and Abbie McManus all had shots saved by Kirsty Levell in the Everton goal, City thought they had taken the lead in the 13th minute when Parris thought she had scored but a late flag for offside proved frustrating.
City’s set pieces were also troubling the struggling Everton defence as they wilted under the pressure.
Karen Bardsley got into the action when she saved a 19th minute long range effort by Claudia Walker who had got away from Demi Stokes after sidestepping Jen Beattie.
Georgia Stanway’s free kick was deflected just wide while Steph Houghton’s drive was wayward as City continued to lay siege to Everton before finally the pressure paid dividends with Izzy Christiansen able to celebrate a goal after 26 minutes.
The domination didn’t let up, though, as City continued to play mainly in the Everton half with Everton’s few chances snuffed out by good defending by City.
City’s intensity dropped in the second half although their dominance in possession meant that Bardsley continued to be a passenger in the game and despite a second half reshuffle by Everton as City were contented to take pot shots as the visitors tightened up at the back.
City could have doubled their lead in the 73rd minute but Jen Beattie’s header from Christiansen’s corner was clawed away by Levell and this was almost to cost them later.
Simone Magill’s header from Chloe Kelly’s free kick beat Karen Bardsley as Everton equalised with 13 minutes to go.
City went up the other end and saw Jill Scott’s header tipped away by Levell but Nikita Parris was at hand to restore City’s lead in the 79th minute to silence the visiting Everton fans who had finally piped up.
Parris forced a backpeddling Levell to tip away a long punt towards goal as City threw on Megan Campbell for an aerial bombardment against their flagging visitors and Campbell had a shot cleared off the line while Jill Scott sent a last minute chance over the bar.
MATCH STATS
Man City Women: Bardsley, McManus, Houghton, Beattie, Stokes, Walsh, Scott, Parris, Christiansen, Emslie (Campbell 80), Stanway (Lawley 74)
Man City Women Subs: Hourihan, Jans, Lawley, Morgan, Ross, Toone, Campbell
Goals: Christiansen (26), Parris (79)
Everton Ladies: Levell, Turner, Brougham, Worm (Kelly 53), George, Boye-Hlorkah (Bryson 65), Walker, Magill, James, Sweetman-Kirk (Chance 69), Finnigan
Everton Ladies Subs: Brett, Kelly, Durack, Munsterman, Chance, Bryson
Goal: Magill (77)