Aston Villa Women brightened our Valentine’s Weekend with a 0-2 away victory over league rivals Everton yesterday, with two first-half goals securing all the points at Walton Hall Park.
Carla Ward named a strengthened side, as Emily Gielnik returned from the Asian Cup and took her place as our number 9. Lehmann and Petzelberger accompanied her at the front and January signings Scott and Patten look to have nailed down their starting places.
Everton opened the game on the front foot and tested Hampton in goal, but Jill Scott’s acrobatic effort overshadowed any earlier play. The midfielder produced a wonderful overhead kick to send Maz Pacheco’s corner into the way of Emily Gielnik, gifting her a tap in to put the Villans ahead at 17 minutes.
The second goal came just 7 minutes later, started by the full-back Sarah Mayling running up the right wing. She left the ball with Lehmann, who delivered a cross into Gielnik. The striker managed to outsmart her marker by turning away from goal and setting up Petzelberger for a close range shot.
The second half was a 45 of few chances and allowed Villa to see the game through. Hannah Hampton was there when called upon, but it was a complete performance across the field that secured the points.
It was a significant victory in terms of the league table, as Villa leapfrog Everton into 9th position. We are now 12 points clear of Birmingham in the relegation spot, and can look even further up the table.
Our next match is the reverse fixture against Everton, which was postponed due to a Covid outbreak in our opponent’s squad. Everton are without a league win since October and are currently managed by an interim coach following the sacking of Jean-Luc Vasseur earlier this month. Despite the quality in the squad, the team have had a difficult season and now find themselves below Leicester City in 11th place.
With Gielnik back on the scoresheet, Jill Scott commanding midfield, and a complete team effort at the weekend, Villa will be looking to exploit Everton’s struggles even further on March 2nd.
PLAYER RATINGS
Let’s see how Adam Reapa, who was in the stands, rated the performance of our women in Claret and Blue.
Hannah Hampton – 8.5
Sarah Mayling – 8
Anna Patten – 7
Anita Asante – 8
Ramona Petzelberger – 8.5
Ruesha Littlejohn – 7.5
*Jill Scott – 9 – Player Of The Match
Jill was fantastic on and off the ball. While we in possession the ball stuck to her feet like glue. Off the ball she pressed well to win it back and take relieve any pressure of the Villa defence.
Superb assist for the opener!
A real quality player; adding a noticeable improvement to team already.
Adam Reapa
Emily Gielnik – 8
Remi Allen – 7.5
Alisha Lehmann – 8
Maz Pacheco – 7.5
Subs
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah – 7 (On for Emily Gielnik 74)
Chloe Arthur – 6 (On for Alisha Lehmann 90)
Opposition
Everton Women: MacIver, George, Finnigan, Turner, Maier (Gauvin 79′), Galli, Emslie, Christiansen (Magill 61′), Dali (Bennison 34′), Duggan (Pattinson 79′), Anvegård (Graham 78′)
Subs: Brosnan, Gauvin, Weir, Magill, Bennison, Pattinson, Clinton, Graham
PLAYER REACTION | Emily Gielnik
THE BOSS | Carla Ward
GOALS | Aston Villa
UTV PODCAST | LATEST NEWS
Check out the latest news from the UTV Podcast camp.
Remember, this is a channel built by fans for the fans. It’s a platform for anyone to come on and have their say – if it’s joining us on a Fan Reaction show or getting involved in our written work like Fan Reports, Fan Stories, Player Focus and the popular Player Ratings or have your question answered on our Preview shows – it is open to all.
It’s a super chilled platform, so drop us a message or use our contact page.
FACEBOOK | UTV PODCAST AN ASTON VILLA BLOG
Tap the icon button to join our Facebook page for instant notifications of all the website releases.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook and Twitter readers, click the respective icon below to follow our utvpodcast social media accounts.
In association with #HerGameToo
#Hergame Too is a campaign set up to raise awareness for the sexism that is prevalent in football, as well as supporting, empowering, and creating opportunities for females involved in the game. The #HerGameToo team are made up of twelve football fans that represent an array of teams across the country, including some that work in the industry who have experienced some sexism in their everyday work. They actively encourage people to speak out about their experiences, whether it be to #HerGameToo, friends or family, or the football clubs involved. We must acknowledge that football has come a long way from the issues that existed historically, however there is still a long way to go.
#HerGameToo are doing great work on understanding and removing misogyny in the men’s game, and are continuing to develop their campaign to make it the most inclusive and accessible it can be. Elevating hard-hitting stories, data and new voices is helping to spread their message loud and clear.
If you would like to show your support for #HerGameToo, you can help by calling out any misogynistic comments you hear or see and give them a follow on any of their socials.
W: http://hergametoo.co.uk T: @HerGameToo I: @HerGameToo F: @HerGameToo
