Everton closed off their Women’s League Cup Journey on a positive note with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at the Gateshead International Stadium.
Yuka Momiki broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with a stunning curling free-kick, before Katja Snoeijs and Toni Payne extended the Blues’ lead in the second half with two consecutive goals in the space of one minute.
Jordan Nobbs pulled one back for Newcastle inside 79 minutes, though it proved to be only a consolation.
The opening exchanges were cagey, with the hosts enjoying brighter spells of possession but failing to threaten meaningfully in the final third.
As Everton settled, they carved out the first major chance of the afternoon. Ornella Vignola came close to opening the scoring when Honoka Hayashi’s pinpoint free-kick found her in space, but the Spaniard’s powerful strike rose just over the bar.
The visitors threatened again moments later as Hikaru Kitagawa struck the crossbar following a corner, her effort rebounding back to her after her initial shot was blocked.
Momiki found the breakthrough for the visitors just after the half-hour mark, when her emphatic free kick went bending into the bottom right hand corner of Claudia Moan’s goal.
Everton pushed for more before the break, with Kitagawa firing a dangerous low cross into the area after being released down the right by Vignola, though Deanna Copper spared the Magpies from going into the break with a bigger deficit as she reacted sharply to prevent Payne from turning it in.
The Blues started the second period strongly, as Payne cut the ball back to Momiki from the by-line, but she couldn’t establish a clean connection, allowing Newcastle’s to clear. Soon after, Vignola went close again, firing an arrowed effort inches wide of the left post.
Newcastle responded with a chance of their own when Nobbs tested Courtney Brosnan, forcing the Everton keeper into her most difficult save of the match as she pushed the shot away from the top corner.
Everton doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when Payne drove a threatening ball across the face of goal, where Snoeijs arrived to guide it in.
Just a minute later, the pair combined again, pressuring Moan into an error that Payne seized upon to toll home the Blues’ third.
Newcastle narrowed the deficit with ten minutes remaining, as a dangerous corner delivery dropped on the goal line for Beth Lumsden to turn in.
Lumsden threatened again late on, breaking through the visitors back line, but Brosnan stood firm and stretched out a decisive leg to deny her.
The result offers Everton a welcome boost of confidence as they aim to carry momentum into the league when they face Chelsea at Kingsmeadow on Sunday.
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