Liverpool Women kicked off their season of Merseyside bragging rights in style, seeing off Everton 2-0 at Anfield in the first derby meeting between the two sides this campaign.
Gareth Taylor’s team were full value for the victory, dominant for large spells and unfortunate not to have added further goals to a scoreline that already told the story of a controlled, one sided afternoon.
The breakthrough came inside four minutes.
Vivien Endemann had already given Liverpool an early warning sign, driving to the byline and whipping in a near post cross that Beata Olsson was poised to convert before Naomi Layzell intervened with a last ditch tackle.
The resulting corner proved decisive moments later, with Olsson rising to guide a header perfectly across goal and into the far corner to open the scoring.
Everton’s response was limited, with Ornella Vignola heading a bouncing ball over after Khiara Keating failed to deal with a cross.
Liverpool continued to press for a second, Cornelia Kapocs forcing a save from distance and Layzell clearing wide from a corner at the other end.
Olsson came close to doubling the lead just before the half hour, meeting a Natalia Ramos free kick with another header that Courtney Brosnan did well to keep out.
Endemann was denied in a one on one by Brosnan in the closing stages of the first half, the goalkeeper’s finest moment of the afternoon.
The second half continued in similar fashion.
Jenna Clark redirected a set piece into the middle for Endemann, whose first time volley crashed against the crossbar, while Ramos saw an effort deflected behind.
Everton did threaten on the counter, with captain Grace Fisk producing a crucial goal line style intervention to deny Zara Kramzar.
At the other end, Ruby Mace was forced into a similar rescue act, clearing off the line after Kapocs diverted a Fuka Nagano delivery goalward.
Liverpool eventually made their dominance count in the eighty sixth minute.
Alice Bergstrom’s low ball into the box was not dealt with by the Everton defence, and Kapocs pounced on the loose ball, turning and finishing to seal the points and send Anfield into celebration.
The result gives Taylor’s side an early psychological edge in this season’s Merseyside meetings, having controlled long periods of the game and created the far greater volume of chances throughout.
Attention now turns quickly to midweek action, with Liverpool travelling to Birmingham City in the Subway Players Cup on Wednesday, kick off at St Andrew’s set for 7pm.
For a Liverpool Women’s side building momentum, victory in the first derby of the season represents exactly the kind of statement result Taylor will want his squad to carry into the busy fixture schedule ahead.
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