Fixtures
- Everton Women Vs. Aston Villa Women – Sat, Mar 16th 2024, 13:00
Aston Villa Women won their first game in March with a 2-1 success at Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Kenza Dali and Ebony Salmon struck in the space of five second-half minutes to give the visitors a two-goal advantage that was cut in half by Elise Stenevik in the closing stages.
Villa survived a tense finish that included six minutes of additional time and a penalty appeal by the hosts.
The three points brings Villa level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in sixth.
Carla Ward made three changes from the side that started last week’s Conti Cup defeat to Arsenal.
Ebony Salmon and Adriana Leon came in to form a front two, while Noelle Maritz returned to the defence having been cup-tied against her former side.
Ward also welcomed Freya Gregory and Miri Taylor back to the matchday squad.
Everton enjoyed the lion’s share of possession from the first whistle and pinned Villa into their own third for large spells.
Anna Leat, making her second successive start, leaped across to her left to deny Hanna Bennison from long distance in the opening stages.
Villa struggled to get a foothold in the game and didn’t register an attempt of any kind until the 28th minute when Leon saw a well-struck volley beaten away by Courtney Brosnan.
That would be the one and only chance of note before the break, but it took only 10 minutes after the interval for Villa to convert their next one.
Dali evoked memories of last season when she found the bottom corner with aplomb to give the visitors the lead.
And just five minutes later the lead was doubled with Salmon nodding in from Jordan Nobbs’ cross.
All of a sudden Villa were cruising but their advantage was halved by Stenevik with five minutes remaining to set up a potentially tense finish.
Tense it was, but Ward’s side held on for a much-needed three points.
