Everton boss Brian Sorensen has admitted his side need to be sharper in front of goal following their 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
The Blues went into Sunday's game looking to make it five unbeaten in the Women's Super League, although the international break meant it had been more than a month since they were last in competitive action. That lack of match sharpness was evident early on when former Everton midfielder Kenza Dali put the visitors in front less than five minutes into the contest at Walton Hall Park.
The Blues' misery was then compounded in the second half when defender Megan Finnigan inadvertently diverted the ball into her own net. Everton battled to find a way back into the game but it wasn't to be for Sorensen's side, with the manager admitting his side's deficiencies in front of goal ultimately cost them the game.
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"We were not sharp enough overall in the things we were trying to do," Sorensen told evertontv post-match. "They had a bit of a lucky goal in the second half which killed the game.
"But we were not sharp enough in terms of producing enough chances and being sharp on the ball."
Sunday's result sees Everton stay in sixth place, four points behind Villa with a game in hand, but Sorensen is confident the defeat won't derail what has so far been a promising season for the Blues.
"It’s disappointing but we need to still believe in what we’re doing in the long term," he said. "Games like this will happen and unfortunately, we had one today.
"We looked okay in the last period of the game, but the result was fair. We need to look to see how we can improve.
"We didn’t look as sharp as I expected. In the week, we looked good but the game is another thing."
The Blues will have the perfect opportunity to bounce back when they take on bottom-of-the-league Leicester City next weekend. While the Foxes have enjoyed something of a resurgence under former Everton boss Willie Kirk, Sorensen is confident his side will show a response to Sunday's defeat when they travel to the King Power.
"We need to bounce back against Leicester, and I’m sure we will," he said. "We just have to digest this one and learn from it."
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