Report: Defeat for Palace Women against Everton

Summary:

• Smerud opts for a change in shape to last week, with Stengel and Larisey leading the line in a 4-4-2.
• 7: Weerden receives the ball in the box but her snapshot is saved by Brosnan
• 14: Direct running from Larisey causes trouble in the Everton box but the home side manage to clear
• 43: GOAL - Vanhaevermaet heads home from a corner to open the scoring for the hosts
• 45: Vanhaevermaet almost doubles the lead again from a corner, but Yañez gets down well
• HT: Everton 1 - 0 Palace
• 46: GOAL - Everton get their second after Holmgaard nods home from a good cross
• 48: Stengel is fouled on the approach to the box but after an initial penalty call, Everton are awarded the ball back
• 65: Larisey races towards goal and fires the ball across the box, but no-one is there to put it in the net
• 73: Sustained pressure goes unrewarded again as a quality corner can't find a Palace player
• 90+5: GOAL - Gago grabs a third for Everton as the home team break late in the game
• FT: Everton 3- 0 Palace

A late Kelly Gago finish and goals either side of half-time saw Palace Women lose 3-0 away at Walton Hall Park against Everton.

Palace started brightly with good chances for Ashleigh Weerden and Clarissa Larisey, but neither forward could beat Courtney Brosnan in the Everton net.

The home side opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, with Justine Vanhaevermaet heading in from a corner.

Just a minute into the restart and the home side doubled their advantage on 46 minutes, with Sara Holmgaard heading in a fine Kelly Gago cross from the right wing.

Palace were then initially awarded a penalty just two minutes after as Katie Stengel was fouled on the approach to the Everton goal, but the referee decided to instead award a drop-ball after consulting with the fourth official.

Larisey continued to test the Everton defence and almost got one back for Palace on 65 minutes, but there was no-one there to convert her cross.

With the game fizzling out, Everton added a third to their tally as Gago got in behind the Palace defence and finished well beyond Shae Yañez.

This result means that Palace are still only one point behind Aston Villa in the league who play on Sunday, with Arsenal at the VBS Community awaiting for Leif Smerud and the team.

With over 2000 tickets already sold, you can get tickets here to be part of a record crowd at the VBS Community stadium!

Everton: Brosnan (GK), H. Payne (Hope, 70) , Mjelde, Fernandez, Holmgaard, Snoeijs (Sarri, 70), Ladd (Holmgaard, 90+2), Hayashi (Madsen, 83), Vanhaevermaet, T. Payne (Lawley, 83), Gago

Subs not used: Ramsey (GK), Stenevik, Watson, Olesen

Palace: Yañez (GK), Woodham (Blanchard, 79), Swaby, Nouwen, Green (Riley, 60) , Weerden (Atkinson, 86), Cato, Potter, Larkin (Veje, 46), Stengel, Larisey (Hughes, 86)

Subs not used: Majasaari (GK), Nolan, Arthur, Sharpe