Aston Villa continued their unbeaten pre-season run with a convincing 3-1 victory away to Everton this afternoon.
An own goal gave Robert de Pauw’s side an early lead, but they found themselves level at the break after Sara Holmgaard evened the scoring.
Rachel Daly’s first goal of pre-season and a rocket from substitute Maz Pacheco in the second-half secured the victory for the Villans as their impressive form continued.
Villa started the game brightly and had their first chance in front of goal with only less than a minute on the clock. Adriana Leon released Chasity Grant down the right with a well-timed pass and the forward charged towards the by-line before hitting a cross into the area, but Paula Tomas saw her effort fly just over the target.
Tomas was involved again only five minutes later as she set up the game’s opening goal. The full back received a pass from Kenza Dali inside the area and fizzed a low cross into the six-yard area that was turned home by an Everton defender.
The home side responded well to going a goal behind and it took them only five minutes to draw level as Homgaard rose high inside the box to nod home.
Chances were hard to come by in the remaining 30 minutes of the first-half as the rain continued to poor on Merseyside.
Daly came close on the stroke of half-time as her shot from over 20 yards out was caught by Courtney Brosnan.
Katja Snoeijs tested Sabrina D’Angelo from distance seven minutes after the restart but the shot stopper got down to calmly collected the effort.
Kirsty Hanson replaced Dali at the break and came agonisingly close to restoring her side’s lead on the 58thminute but her strong shot from the edge of the area sailed just over the target.
Daly bagged her first goal of pre-season on the 62nd minute as she put Villa back in control of the tie. The striker laid the ball back out to Lucy Staniforth who smashed it back goalwards and Daly was on hand to safely see the ball over the line as she coolly flicked it past Brosnan.
Ebony Salmon had a chance to extend the team’s lead 15 minutes later as she drove through the final third and rocketed a strike towards the target, but her effort was well blocked before it could test Brosnan in goal.
Substitute Pacheco sealed the win on the 78th minute with the game’s best goal as she lifted a shot from 20 yards out coolly past the goalkeeper.
Villa’s pre-season concludes next week as they take on fellow Women’s Super League side Manchester City in their fifth and final friendly fixture.
Everton: Brosnan, Galli, Finnigan (Hayashi 63’), Vanhaevermaet, Stenevik (Hobson 72’), Holmegaard (Settle 84’), Wheeler (Bissell 72’), Payne (Hope 63’), Gabarro (Olesen 63’), Sarri (Lawley 63’), Snoeijs (Jones 84’)
Aston Villa: D’Angelo, Maritz (Mayling 63’), Patten (Parker 63’), Corsie (Turner 63’), Tomas (Maltby 63’), Staniforth (Taylor 63’), Nobbs (Pacheco 63’), Grant (Robinson 63’), Leon (Tucker 63’), Dali (Hanson 46’), Daly (Salmon 63’)
