Women’s FA Cup Recap: Everton 0-3 Chelsea | Toffees end season in disappointment

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Everton started Thursday’s affair on the front foot, generating early pressure in Chelsea’s half. Claire Emslie played a cross into the box from the corner flag, but none of her teammates could control the ball. In the 7’, Hayley Raso made a smart run along the right wing and looked for Valérie Gauvin at the near post, but the French striker saw her shot blocked on the line.

It was a tense scene after 15 minutes played as Ingrid Moe Wold, who was selected as the team’s captain in the final game of her career, went down inside the Toffees’ 18 after a nasty head collision. The medical team rushed onto the field and, after assessing Wold’s injury, permitted her to re-enter the game.

Following several early chances for the Merseyside outfit, Chelsea began to dominate the game. Everton goalkeeper Sandy MacIver was forced into a point-blank save on Sam Kerr in the 15’, and the young English shot-stopper again was called into action three minutes later; she foiled Kerr in front of net for a second time.

At the 20-minute mark, Emslie was back at it on the wing, hitting a super strike — the Scottish winger launched a powerful volley inside the box — that was parried away with a quick reaction from Chelsea goalie Ann-Katrin Berger. In the latter stages of the half, the home side finally found the breakthrough; after charging on the counter, forward Guro Reiten netted for the hosts.

Center-back Millie Bright got the second 45 underway for Chelsea with a shot from distance that struck the crossbar. On the other end, Izzy Christiansen played a free kick into a dangerous area, but Berger stretched to tip the attempt over the net. In the 74’, the Toffees were back on the attack; Wold looped a ball into the box, and Nicoline Sørensen took a touch but powered the ball off target.

Kerr doubled the London outfit’s lead in the 77’, and Drew Spence put the game to bed 10 minutes later, effectively ending Everton’s season.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

As is tradition, in the dying stages of the match, Ingrid Moe Wold was subbed off in her final professional appearance — the Norwegian international announced her retirement from the sport earlier this week. Wold was honored with applause from both sides in the moment, and the players continued to celebrate Everton’s fearless right back after the game. Congratulations on an incredible career, Moe. Best of luck in the next chapter of your journey.

LINEUPS

Everton (3-4-3): MacIver; Sevecke, Finnigan, George; Wold (Boye-Hlorkah 90), Scott, Christiansen, Pattinson; Gauvin (Graham 84), Raso, Emslie (Sørensen 67)

Unused substitutes: Korpela, Lehmann, Magill, Stringer, Clemaron, Clinton

Chelsea (3-4-3): Berger; Bright, Carter, Eriksson; Cuthbert (Charles 72), Leupolz (Spence 78), Fleming (Ingle 72), Andersson; England, Reiten (Harder 78), Kerr

Unused substitutes: Musovic, Telford, Blundell, Ji, Fox

Goals: Reiten 29, Kerr 77, Spence 87