Manchester City 1, Everton 0
Steph Houghton celebrated 200 appearances for Manchester City today with another win after Keira Walsh hit a late winner against Everton.
Embed from Getty ImagesEverton boss Willie Kirk sacrificed his team’s attacking ambitions to contain the threat of Manchester City who struggled to break down the visitors until the 81st minute when a tactical switch by City saw Walsh hit the winner.
The win meant that City had won seven games in a row in all competitions, in a 12 match unbeaten run, and still had their WSL destiny in their own hands – going top briefly while Chelsea were playing at West Ham.
Walsh returned from a hamstring injury and was joined in the starting line-up by Sam Mewis and Esme Morgan who was playing against the side she played for on loan last season.
Abby Dahlkemper, Laura Coombs, and Georgia Stanway stepped down to the bench.
They were up against an Everton that had never beaten City in the WSL; Jill Scott – on loan from City – was unavailable but former City player Izzy Christiansen started in midfield for the Toffees while Claire Emslie was on the bench as manager Willie Kirk opted for a 5-4-1 formation at the Academy Stadium designed to stifle City.
City predictably dominated the early stages without getting a shot in but Everton tried to switch the ball when they could to catch their hosts out.
Everton had to make two easy changes in the battling first half with Danielle Turner and Ingrid Moe Wold withdrawn early for Poppy Pattinson and Hayley Raso after suffering injuries.
But the Toffees packed back line defended well, denying City a clear shot on goal while surviving crosses into the box – City’s best chance came from Sam Mewis shooting wide from close range after a free kick by Caroline Weir hit the Everton wall and dropped into the area.
There were shouts for handball against Christiansen as she made a clearance from a Bronze cross into the area while Megan Finnigan blocked an Ellen White shot in added time.
A clever corner routine saw Kelly cross from the left with Houghton flicking the ball wide of the back post while Mewis was again blocked as she took another shot.
City started the second half on the front foot with Kelly cutting inside from the right and forcing a fine save from MacIver with a curling shot.
Kelly continued to be threat coming inside from the right flank but they were thwarted by a fine defensive performance from the visitors and some wayward shooting from White who shot wide after springing the offside trap in the 62nd minute.
Lauren Hemp went for an overhead kick which came down behind MacIver’s goal as City started to look at the clock.
Changes were coming though and Rose Lavelle and Georgia Stanway were introduced for Mewis and White after Caroline Weir fouled Maeva Clemaron in the 68th minute.
Ex-City winger Claire Emslie replaced Valerie Gauvin for Everton after 73 minutes with Gabby George going off to be replaced by Simone Magill at the same time.
Emslie won Everton’s first corner after 77 minutes on a rare attack for the Toffees, who won two more and forced City to scramble it away.
City’s wingers swapped flanks late in the game to give the visitors something else to thing about.
And with 9 minutes to go Keira Walsh popped up for that all important goal from 20 yards out after Everton’s defence was breached after Lauren Hemp cut the ball back from the touchline on the right.
It was Walsh’s second WSL goal of the season and the relief was palpable amongst the City players.
Kelly twice shot at MacIver after cutting in from the left as City saw out the rest of the match as Everton desperately tried to get an equaliser.
GOAL – Manchester City 1, Everton 0
Man City Women 1, Everton 0: 81. Keira Walsh fired City into the lead from 20 yards out after Lauren Hemp cut the ball back rather than cross into the area.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 1, Everton 0
Man City Women: Roebuck, Bronze, Houghton, Greenwood, Morgan, Mewis (Lavelle 68), Walsh, Weir (Coombs 88), Kelly, Hemp, White (Stanway 68)
Man City Women subs not used: Taieb, Keating, Mannion, Beckie, Davies, Dahlkemper
Goal: Walsh 81
Everton: MacIver, Wold (Raso 41), Sevecke, Finnigan, George (Magill 73), Turner (Pattinson 27), Clemaron, Christiansen, Graham, Sorensen, Gauvin (Emslie 73)
Everton subs not used: Korpela, Boye-Hlorkah, Lehmann, Stringer, Clinton
Bookings: Clemaron 80 (foul on Lucy Bronze); Pattinson 90 (foul on Lauren Hemp)
Referee: Sarah Garratt