Women 1 – 0 Everton Women – Match Report

Stina Blackstenius’ 93rd-minute winner saw us end our final Barclays Women’s Super League home game of the season on a high with a 1-0 win over Everton in our 50th women’s match at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

The three points took us up to second in the division, going above Chelsea.

FIRST HALF

On her final home appearance for us, Beth Mead had her first sight of goal in the ninth minute. Mariona Caldentey and Frida Maanum carried us forward on the counter-attack and Alessia Russo turned back to plays it right to Mead, who dragged her shot wide.

Emily Fox’s inswinging left-footed delivery was then headed onto the crossbar by Mead, the ball bouncing down and away from the goal.

Moments later, Everton gave the ball away to Russo and she found a way through before getting a powerful shot away, but it was straight at Courtney Brosnan, who was fortunate not to see it ricochet between her legs and into the back of the net.

At the other end, Clare Wheeler shot onto the roof of the net from distance after Lotte Wubben-Moy conceded possession, with Anneke Borbe off of her line.

Mead came close again to the opener just beyond the half-hour mark. After receiving the ball from Victoria Pelova, she smashed a curling effort onto the crossbar, denied by the woodwork once more.

SECOND HALF

We did have the ball in the back of the net at the start of the second half as a Katie McCabe corner was lifted back into the box by the head of Mariona for Laia Codina to convert, but the flag was raised for offside.

Olivia Smith looked dangerous as she drifted in from the left and smacked the ball onto the top right of the crossbar, and Smith then Hannah Blundell and got a cross in for Russo, who touched it towards goals, but Brosnan was equal to it.

Pelova teed up Smith but her strike was too central to trouble Brosnan with just under 30 minutes remaining and, in the 64th minute, we made our first two changes as Smilla Holmberg and Caitlin Foord come on for Fox and Mead to a standing ovation.

Renée Slegers tweaked the team again in the 76th minute with Maanum and Smith making way for Blackstenius and Chloe Kelly.

Ornella Vignola found a way through late on and had a rare Everton shot deflected wide for a corner, but nothing came of the set-piece.

There was still time for another late change as we brought Leah Williamson on in place of Codina, who got a warm reception from the home crowd.

In the third minute of five added on at the end of the second half, it was finally 1-0 to The Arsenal. Holmberg’s corner was cleared as far as Foord, who whipped it back into the box for Wubben-Moy to head towards goal. Williamson challenged Brosnan, who parried it into the path of Blackstenius and our super Swede made no mistake in knocking it across the line.