Kelly Gago bagged a brace as Everton cruised to an emphatic 4-1 victory over struggling Leicester City at Walton Hall Park in the WSL.
The Toffees struck ahead early after an unselfish assist from Heather Payne set up Gago, who calmly dispatched her effort into the far corner, with Katja Snoeijs and Honoka Hayashi following suit with well-taken goals after the break.
Leicester briefly fought back when Shannon O’Brien equalised in the 16th minute with a composed finish, but Everton’s spirited second-half performance proved too much for the Foxes.
Everton got off to a blistering start, breaking the deadlock within five minutes. H. Payne squared the ball to Gago in plenty of space on the edge of the area, and the January signing, brimming with confidence, struck it cleanly past Janina Leitzig, capping off a sweeping team move.
Building on their momentum, Snoeijs surged towards the box with intent, unleashing a powerful strike that flew narrowly wide of the left post.
As the game progressed, Leicester gradually found their rhythm, battling with tenacity as both sides understood the weight of the result in the relegation fight.
The visitors responded in the 16th minute through O’Brien, whose inch-perfect finish rolled into the left corner.
Everton nearly restored their lead before the break when Clare Wheeler’s long-range effort forced Leitzig into a fingertip save.
The Toffees wasted no time reclaiming their advantage after the restart. Just three minutes into the second period, Snoeijs found the back of the net with a close-range finish following excellent work from Toni Payne, who worked her way into a crossing position.
Despite a quieter game, Courtney Brosnan remained alert when called into action, crucially denying Yuka Momiki’s low strike toward the bottom corner.
Honoka Hayashi added breathing room in the 57th minute as she drilled a precise shot through a crowded box, nestling it into the inside post.
Not satisfied with one goal Gago extended the lead once more, benefiting from another brilliant T. Payne delivery as she connected with her pinpoint lofted cross, guiding a header past Leitzig to make it 4-1.
Veatriki Sarri almost added a fifth in stoppage time, but her shot rolled narrowly wide of the far post after meeting Melissa Lawley’s threaded pass.
Everton will aim to carry this positive momentum into their upcoming FA Cup match against reigning WSL champions Chelsea at Kingsmeadow on February 9th.
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