Liverpool: Enderby 34’, Olsson 45’
The Liverpool FC Women look to continue their run in the FA Cup with a derby match against rivals Everton. The Reds have been better since the new year, with a large cadre of new signings playing a key role. Meanwhile, Everton have changed managers recently, and have looked stronger over the past couple of outings.
Gareth Taylor is without the services of Alice Bergstrom after she suffered a knee injury against Chelsea last weekend. Mia Enderby is given the starting role in her stead. Martha Thomas is given another start ahead of Beata Olsson and Aurelie Csillag as the point striker.
Fairly even in the early going, with both sides making forays forward but neither side able to do much more than probe. Liverpool are looking confident moving the ball around in possession as they have had the majority of the ball but haven’t really been able to do much in the attacking third.
Liverpool with a mistake in the 10th minute after a simple back pass is well overcooked and goes out for a corner kick. The Reds do well to clear the initial corner, but Jenna Clark has to make a block on an attempted cross at the end line to concede a second corner. This time the ball goes over everyone and curls out for a goal kick.
Liverpool earn a free kick midway down the right channel, with Ceri Holland set to deliver. She sends the ball deep to the back post, and Jenna Clark makes the run to turn it back across the face of goal with the defense and goalkeeper scrambling. A defender gets the ball and passes it backwards where it is picked up by the goalkeeper. It’s a seemingly clear back pass in the box, but the referee waves away the decision when the Liverpool players immediately point it out.
Ceri Holland, deployed on the left today, steams past a defender on the wing before getting a cross away just before the end line with players making runs into the box. She overhits the ball, however, and Risa Shimizu has to rescue the ball before it goes over the touch line.
Mia Enderby picks the ball up midway into the attacking half after a good press created a loose ball. She immediately turns and breaks forward towards goal. A defender finally steps towards her as she gets near the edge of the box, so Enderby rips a low shot from distance that has Courtney Brosnan scrambling in net. The ball goes just past the far post as Brosnan looked beaten with a late dive.
Everton have a spell of pressure late in the first half, keeping the ball in the attacking half for several minutes. Liverpool are struggling to get the ball out of the zone when they do get hold of it as the visitors press and recover the ball.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! It’s Mia Enderby with the finish, but it comes with a cost. The Reds finally get the ball back and stream forward after Martha Thomas pressures a long punt forward and wins it back. Thomas swings it wide to Ceri Holland on the left and the winger spies players making runs into the box ahead of her. Holland cuts the ball back on her right foot and delivers the ball to the back post where Mia Enderby bravely goes up to head with the goalkeeper bearing down on her. The ball bounces into the net to give Liverpool a lead late in the first half, but Enderby is down clutching her knee in obvious pain after a collision.
The medical staff come racing out as the replay shows Brosnan went directly into Enderby’s leg as she had just planted it back to the ground after jumping. The stretcher has come out as Beata Olsson gets ready to come on. Enderby is carried off the pitch as she holds her head in tears.
Liverpool look to double their lead before the half ends after earning a corner kick. The ball is swung in and headed back towards goal, but the ball is blocked out for another corner from the right side. This time the delivery goes a little too deep and the ball has to be recycled out to the left where Fuka Nagano draws a foul just by the touchline.
GOAL LIVERPOOL!!! Ceri Holland lines up the set piece just as the clock rolls up to the 45 minute mark and drives the ball into the middle of the box. It’s headed towards goal but hits a player and creates a scramble at the near post. Beata Olsson is quickest to react as she touches it in from close range. The replay shows that the header actually came off of Olsson, with the Everton players claiming it came off the arm of the Liverpool striker. It’s tough to see on the replay, but if it did hit her arm it was from very close range with the arm against her body, so it would have been very tough to see by the referee.
Everton make two changes to start the second half as they chase the game now. Former Liverpool player Melissa Lawley is one of the subs.
Liverpool earn an early corner kick, and it’s so close to a third goal! The initial ball comes to Grace Fisk at the far post, who heads it back across the face of goal. It’s Jenna Clark who gets her head to it in the middle, and the ball loops towards the crossbar, forcing Brosnan to palm the ball over the bar for another corner. Liverpool again win the first header and get it redirected to the center of the box, but this time the follow up header is from further away by Kapocs and is caught.
Martha Thomas earns a free kick on the right wing, forcing Ruby Mace to clip her from behind after pushing the ball around the corner. Mace is shown a yellow for the foul.
Jenna Clark almost scores again from a set piece as Ceri Holland provides another great delivery into the box that causes a scramble. The ball ends up falling to Clark right in front of goal and the defender redirects it towards the net. It’s right at Courtney Brosnan, unfortunately, and the Everton goalkeeper is able to react fast enough to beat the ball away.
Liverpool are dominating the match and Everton are getting quite chippy. Alejandra Bernabé is the latest Liverpool player to be hacked down in the left channel. Ceri Holland again puts in a good delivery, but Martha Thomas cannot put her header on frame.
Just a minute later the Reds stream forward again with the ball. Ceri Holland is on the ball and this time elects to shoot rather than play provider. She drives the ball on net, but her low shot is too close to Brosnan and the goalkeeper can gather it up.
Jennifer Falk with a brilliant diving save from Inma Gabarro. The Everton attacker cuts the ball back as Grace Fisk runs back to defend and Gabarro drives a low shot to the far post. Falk dives and gets her fingertips to direct the ball just past the far post.
Grace Fisk with a great covering run to get back and block a cross from the left flank. She even manages to block the ball so it rebounds off the Everton attacker and goes out for a goal kick.
Liverpool are stroking the ball around with 20 minutes of regulation to play. The Reds are looking calm and composed in the face of pressure and are always seemingly able to find the outlet ball when needed.
Goal Everton. It’s a poor decision by Jenna Clark to play a pass down the line and it is picked off by Everton. The Blues get a good shot away, and Jennifer Falk goes down to her left to make an initial fingertip save, pushing the ball onto the post. The ball bounces back off the post, hits the head of Falk and hits the post again before rebounding off of Falks head a second time and rolling into the net. That will go down as an own goal despite Falk being in no way at fault.
Everton have a lifeline now despite Liverpool dominating the match. Lets hope missed chances are not rued yet again.
Liverpool look to get back on the attack directly after conceding. They get two quick chances, with Martha Thomas heading wide before Beata Olsson blazes a shot over the bar from close range with the second opportunity.
Aurelie Csillag is coming on for fresh legs late in the match. She replaces Martha Thomas, who put in a good shift up top. Csillag has been impressive in her first few appearances for Liverpool, and will have a chance to make an impact against some tired Everton defenders.
Jennifer Falk makes a great save, getting down to her right. The shot took a bit of a deflection, making it all the more impressive that she controlled the rebound.
Csillag latches onto a long goal kick, and showcases her speed and strength to hold off a defender and get to the end line before cutting the ball across the face of goal. The ball is ultimately blocked away, but it’s good work by the forward.
Csillag again causes problems with some great play at the top of the box. She battles with two defenders and is able to stumble through before poking the ball to Beata Olsson to her right. Olsson quickly drives a shot on net and sees it pushed over the crossbar by Brosnan.
Ceri Holland swings the corner kick into the box and yet again there is a scramble in the box. Sever players end up in a scrum on the ground just inside the Everton goal as the referee blows his whistle. Jenna Clark is whistled for a foul despite having been pulled down by Brosnan in the net. Aurelie Csillag is pushed on top of the heap and half falls on Brosnan, with Everton defenders immediately jumping in to get in the faces of Csillag and Clark. Both Brosnan and Clark are given yellow cards after the melee.
Liverpool score a third goal after a brilliant cross by Ceri Holland is controlled by Beata Olsson before the Swede pushes it past a defender and drills the ball into the net. The referee blew the whistle and disallows the goal, though it is not clear for what. On replay is shows that the ball may just have grazed the arm of Olsson after it hit her leg?
IT DOESN’T MATTER AS THE WHISTLE GOES JUST MOMENTS LATER!
Liverpool will now advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after a dominating performance over Everton. It quite easily could have been 3 or 4 goals for the Reds on another day as they created 4 big chances from their 16 shots. The win did come with consequences, however, as Mia Enderby suffered what looked to be a significant injury as she scored the opening goal.
Players will now disperse for an international break. Gareth Taylor will hope his side can continue their run of form when they return as Liverpool will face an important string of matches. The Reds will face Leicester City, Brighton, and Everton in March as the club look to ensure they stay out of the relegation spot.