Everton Women delivered a performance blending class, resilience and courage in Sunday’s 2020 FA Cup final but were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City after extra time at Wembley.
The game was 1-1 with just 10 minutes of extra time remaining, but late strikes from substitutes Georgia Stanway and Janine Beckie saw City seal victory.
Valerie Gauvin had earlier equalised Sam Mewis’s opener, and the France striker was inches from scoring a second late in normal time but saw her header go agonisingly wide.
City had the game’s first clear opening, with former Blue Chloe Kelly taking aim from 20 yards – Everton goalkeeper Sandy MacIver was there to make a smart stop.
Everton gradually gained a foothold in the game and threatened when the lively Hayley Raso burst clear of the City backline.
Just as Raso looked to round goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck – who had raced off her line – the retreating Lucy Bronze brought her down with a meaty challenge.
From the resulting free-kick, the ball fell at the feet of Damaris Egurrola just inside the area, but she curled her shot over the bar.
Back came City and Mewis made a dangerous dart forward from midfield to get on the end of a lofted ball forward – the USA international prodded a shot at goal but the impressive MacIver made a fine point-blank stop.
Everton then created two chances in as many minutes shortly after the half-hour mark.
First, Gauvin headed a Ingrid Moe Wold cross just wide, before Raso's powerful stop forced a terrific stop from Roebuck.
City would break the deadlock five minutes before half-time.
Alex Greenwood’s corner delivery was met by Mewis, who headed powerfully into the top corner.
Everton have shown their collected determination and character on several occasions already this season – notably in the come-from-behind FA Cup quarter-final win over WSL champions Chelsea – and Kirk’s team displayed this quality in abundance after the break.
Egurolla saw an intelligent looping header athletically stopped by Roebuck – but the City keeper could do nothing about Gauvin’s effort moments later.
The France striker rose high to meet a typically inviting Izzy Christiansen corner and headed into the bottom corner.
Gauvin was close from putting the Blues in front on 72 minutes. Nico Sorensen was the architect on this occasion – the Dane escaped down the right and served up a cross that Gauvin headed fractions wide.
City then almost to struck a decisive blow in stoppage time when Caroline Weir’s 20-yarder cannoned off the bar.
Into extra-time we went, and the Blues were indebted to the magnificent Sandy MacIver for keeping the scores level on 105 minutes.
Steph Houghton has already started celebrating when she directed a close-range header towards goal, but the Everton keeper athletically sprang to her right to divert her effort onto the post.
City would make the breakthrough on 10 minutes before the end of extra-time, though, Stanway slotting in off the post.
And with Everton committing bodies forward in search of a leveller, Beckie sealed the victory for City with the last kick of the game.
Everton FC