Kelly Backing Everton Ladies To Maintain Attacking Instincts

Kelly Backing Ladies To Maintain Attacking Instincts

Forward says Blue Girls will build on 3-0 win over Doncaster.

Chloe Kelly believes Everton Ladies have shown just how good their attacking play can be after they swept aside Doncaster Rovers Belles in the Continental Cup.

After netting twice against high-flying Manchester City in the league, the Blue Girls struck three unanswered goals at the Keepmoat Stadium to kick off their cup campaign with a morale-boosting victory.

Kelly struck after just six minutes in Yorkshire before a Leandra Little own goal and Marthe Munsterman rounded off an impressive win.

It was centre-back Georgia Brougham that played the killer pass into the feet of Kelly, allowing her to steer the ball through the legs of Belles keeper Jules Draycott, and the striker admits that shows just how offensively-minded the Toffees are.

“I have come in off the right-hand side and Georgia has played it through,” recalls the 19-year-old. “With my first touch I have managed to slide it through the keeper’s legs. I didn’t even aim for that but I’ll take it!

“For Georgia to set the goal up, it shows our attacking instincts. We are always looking for that forward pass and the fluidity in the movement of our forwards gives options to the back line and midfield when they are on the ball.

“We could be anywhere along the frontline and that movement allows us to pick up good positions and runs. With the passes coming through to us, so long as we time our movements right, we will be a threat.”

Having narrowly lost their opening three WSL games prior to their trip to Yorkshire, Kelly believes the win over Rovers has set the Toffees up perfectly to pick up their first victory when they take on Arsenal in the league on 29 October.

The young forward is on loan from the Gunners but is eligible to play under the terms of the agreement and is itching to face her parent club.

“Hopefully I have proved myself in the Doncaster game and I can face Arsenal,” she added. “It would be great to play against them. Getting a win at Doncaster – even if it’s in the Continental Cup – we know we can improve on this and show why we are in WSL 1.

“It doesn’t matter if our first win has been against a WSL 2 side – Rovers have a bit about them. So it’s a great result to build on going into the Arsenal game.

“We have a little break in the fixtures now but we go into it on a high and with smiles on our faces. The performances have been good but we haven’t got the results. Now that we have, it’s great for us and we can go into the Arsenal game full of confidence.”