City topple the Toffees in impressive Conti Cup opener

Goals from Jess Park and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw on their first starts of the season were enough to hand Gareth Taylor’s side a deserved triumph on Merseyside.

Park tapped home against the team she’d spent a successful loan spell at last season having ghosted into the Everton box to hand us an early lead.

And we never looked back, with Shaw doubling the advantage less than three minutes after the restart with a typically clinical finish.

The hosts halved the deficit in stoppage time through Toni Duggan, but it was another convincing display from City, with us now boasting two wins and one draw from our opening three matches in all competitions.

What happened?

City had begun the new season in fine fettle, with a win over West Ham and gutsy draw against reigning champions Chelsea in the WSL, and we were once again quick out of the traps at Walton Hall Park.

The first sight of goal came inside five minutes when Shaw’s header was smothered by Courtney Brosnan, before the Jamaican’s effort after a Mary Fowler cutback was blocked at the last minute.

Gareth Taylor’s side were in control, with Deyna Castellanos firing over the bar from a decent position after Brosnan had been caught in possession by Shaw.

And the pressure eventually told just after the 20-minute mark, when Park’s run to the far post went unchecked, leaving her with the simple task of tapping into an empty net from Shaw’s cutback.

City were clearly in the mood, with a sensational turn from Fowler releasing Blakstad down the left soon after, but her cross fell just out of reach of Shaw before the eventual effort from Castellanos was blocked.

It was almost two just before the break, when Shaw powered her way through the Everton defence only to be denied by Brosnan.

The Jamaican was causing all kinds of problems on her first start of the season and released Coombs in first half stoppage time on the counter, but the midfielder’s effort didn’t have enough power to trouble the Everton net.

But a second for City would follow inside three minutes of the restart, with the sloppy play from the hosts seeing Fowler pounce on a loose ball deep in the Toffees’ half.

She released Shaw who, after taking a touch onto her right foot and away from an Everton defender, emphatically smashed home her first goal of the season into the roof of the net.

A brilliant delivery from Blakstad just under ten minutes later almost presented a third for City, but Shaw wasn’t able to find the target on this occasion, heading wide of the near post from a corner.

It had been another lightning start from the visitors, but Everton enjoyed a brief sight of goal before the hour when Emma Bissell sliced wide after reacting quickest to a rebound from Clare Wheeler’s effort on goal.

Normal service was resumed soon after though when Ruby Mace, who had scored a stunning strike against the Toffees in pre-season saw a vicious effort from distance parried away by Brosnan, before Blakstad headed substitute Chloe Kelly’s cross over the bar.

City were thankful to Sandy MacIver though for an incredible reaction save preserve our two-goal lead with around ten minutes to play.

The stopper shuffled well across her line to meet Lucy Hope’s header, sorting her feet out expertly to tip the ball onto the post as it came back across goal.

And the woodwork was clipped at the other end moments later, when substitute Jill Roord saw her powerful low drive tipped onto the frame of the goal by Brosnan.

The final act of the game would fall to a former City player in Duggan, whose glancing header found the far corner of MacIver’s net.

But it did little to dampen the spirits of Gareth Taylor‘s side, who put on another convincing performance to maintain our unbeaten start to the campaign.

Player of the Match: Jess Park

The winger was a real threat out wide, grabbing the opening goal on Merseyside.

Park’s quality on the ball and tenacity off it meant she was a constant thorn in the side of the team she’d enjoyed a successful loan spell at last season.

How we lined up

Sandy MacIver started between the sticks, shielded by a back four of Kerstin Casparij, Steph Houghton, Esme Morgan and Julie Blakstad.

Ruby Mace sat in front of the defence, with Deyna Castellanos and Laura Coombs completing the midfield three.

At the sharp end, Jess Park and Mary Fowler started on the flanks, with Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw up front.

City XI: MacIver, Casparij, Houghton, Morgan (Kennedy 73’), Blakstad, Mace, Castellanos, Coombs (Roord 73’), Park, Fowler (Aleixandri 73’), Shaw (Kelly 60’).

Subs: Roebuck, Angeldahl, Hasegawa, Keating.

Everton XI: Brosnan, Bjorn, Finnigan, Veje, Sorensen, Bissell (Duggan 59’), Wheeler, Vanhaevermaet, Olesen (Bennison 59’), Galli (Hope 59’), Aherne (46’ Payne).

Subs: Ramsey, Campbell, Wilding.

What it means

City sit joint-top of Group B with Leicester, who beat Liverpool 2-1 in the other fixture this evening.

We face the Foxes in the Conti Cup on 22 November.

Up next

Our next fixture sees us welcome Bristol City to the Joie Stadium on Sunday 15 October in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Kick-off is set for 13:00 (UK), as we aim to extend our unbeaten start to the campaign against the newly promoted side.