Everton Ladies 5-1 Sunderland - 10th Dec 2017

Settled Courtney Hunting Further Goals

Ladies striker in fine form going into Sunday's WSL 1 clash with Sunderland.

Courtney Sweetman-Kirk hopes to continue her run of goalscoring form when Everton Ladies face Sunderland on Sunday.

The striker, signed from Doncaster Rovers Belles ahead of the 2017/18 season, netted her first goal for the Toffees when converting a fine Faye Bryson pass to earn a 1-0 win over Birmingham City in the Continental Cup back in November, and was on target again as Everton picked up their maiden WSL 1 success over Yeovil Town.

With the Blue Girls facing the Black Cats this weekend in their final league outing of 2017, Sweetman-Kirk is eager to add further goals to her collection.

“It’s been nice,” she told evertonfc.com. “I’ve been given a bit more of a central role and it’s been easier to score goals but, that being said, I’m happy to play anywhere across the forward line.

“I’ve felt like I can score from anywhere but I think it is about settling into the team, the girls knowing how I play, and that takes a bit of time. But it’s nice to be getting on the scoresheet and it’s helping me become more confident.

“It’s always good to score, especially when it’s a winner. The goal at Birmingham was a decent finish as well - I’m normally more known for my tap-ins but it was a nice strike.

“I knew coming into a new team that it’s never an easy thing so I just had to settle myself in. I was desperate to score but it was about making sure I wasn’t snatching at things. I had to compose myself. I was still putting in good performances, which helps, but it was the final piece of the puzzle.”

With Everton drawing Reading in the quarter-finals of the Continental Cup, a league win over Sunderland at the Select Security Stadium would give the squad the perfect lift ahead of the tie with the Royals next weekend.

Having beaten Oxford United after the success at Yeovil, Sweetman-Kirk is targeting a third straight victory but accepts the team are in for a challenging afternoon against the Black Cats.

“They’re a tough side,” she added. “They beat Liverpool the other night and took three points off Reading at the start of the season.

“But we are confident in what we are doing and we’re getting an identity about the team. We feel we are becoming a hard-working side, one that is hard to play against but one that can score goals as well.

“Personally, looking back to the Yeovil game, I scored a goal and won the penalty, plus training has been going well so for me I’m excited to get back on the pitch.”

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