Willie Kirk’s impressive Everton side made a winning start to their Barclays FA Women's Super League campaign at Twerton Park, deservedly beating Bristol City 4-0 to take all three points back to Merseyside.
The visitors were dominant throughout the first period, with goals from Simone Magill and Lucy Graham giving them a two-goal platform at half-time.
A professional second-half performance, topped off with an astute Graham penalty and a debut strike from Valerie Gauvin, was enough to see Kirk’s side claim the three points ahead of next weekend's clash with Tottenham Hotspur at the DCBL Stadium.
The Toffee’s had begun brightly and came close to kick-starting their season in perfect fashion just two minutes in, as Ingrid Moe Wold’s cross was headed wide at the back post by the unmarked Nicoline Sorenson.
Everton had vowed to start aggressively, and they got their rewards just a few minutes later. Former Bristol City midfielder Graham came up with the kind of magic that saw her so highly rated in the West Country, expertly backheeling the ball mid-air straight into the path of Magill, with the Northern Ireland international making no mistake, clinically firing across goal and into the bottom corner.
Just seven minutes had passed in Bath, and Willie Kirk’s exciting side had taken the lead courtesy of an assist that could well pass the test of time and be named the best of the season come May.
Little over ten minutes later, the relentless Evertonians added a second. Catching the Robins cold on the break, debutant Sorenson whipped in a menacing cross from the left which landed straight at the feet of skipper Graham. The Scot then instinctively tapped home for her fourth goal since moving from this afternoon's hosts in 2019.
The Toffees suffocated their south-west opponents throughout the first half, with the experienced back-line swift to dismiss any promise their determined opponents may have shown, with their best opportunity coming from a Aimee Palmer free-kick which dipped just over Sandy McIver’s crossbar.
The second half started how the first ended, with Robins keeper’ Sophie Baggaley forced to tip Maeve Clemaron’s looping cross onto the bar.
The pressing paid off on the hour mark, with Robins defender Faye Bryson taking a heavy touch in her own area, which the lively Magill latched onto, before being sliced down for a penalty.
Graham stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick into the top corner to make it three, before being mobbed by her jubilant teammates. A reminder that this was all happening without marquee summer signing Valeri Gauvin, who only joined the action with little under 20 minutes to play.
Graham came close to completing her hat-trick late on, glancing a corner just wide of Baggaley’s post, with Bristol City posing little attacking threat themselves.
Gauvin had arrived in the north-west with a big reputation having netted 14 goals in 16 appearances for Montpellier last season, and cooly dispatched her first opportunity in Everton colours, racing onto a through ball before placing it past Baggaley and into the far corner.
Four goals down, Bristol City should’ve added a late consolation through Ebony Salmon. The substitute was clean through on goal against MacIver, but could only fire straight at the England goalkeeper. City only scored nine league goals last season, and with finishing like this you could see why.
The full-time whistle soon followed, with Everton tremendous value for their victory. Up next for the Toffees is Tottenham Hotspur at home, with Bristol City facing a daunting trip to Champions Chelsea.
