Brian Sorensen believes Everton are "getting closer" to competing with the top sides in the Women's Super League after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
Everton succumbed to their third consecutive home defeat as goals from Julie Blakstad and K hadija Shaw helped Gareth Taylor's side triumph in front of a sold-out Walton Hall Park. Sorensen made five changes to the side that fell to a 3-0 defeat against Manchester United last time out, with the Danish manager unable to call on the services of Jess Park, who has been a standout perfromer for the Toffees this term but was ineligible for selection against her parent club.
The visitors made a bright start to the contest and made their early dominance count inside 32 minutes; Shaw drawing in Emilly Ramsey and squaring the ball to Julie Blakstad who coolly rolled the ball into the empty net. Just minutes later, a rare venture forward from Everton secured a corner for Sorensen's side, and Rikke Sevecke bundled the ball home to level things up before half-time.
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But Taylor's team restored their advantage shortly after the break; Laura Coombs' long-range effort careering off the post and into the path of Shaw, who slotted the ball home to hand City the win. Everton battled for an equaliser late on but it wasn't to be for the Toffees, who remain seventh in the table with the majority of WSL sides in action on Sunday.
“I’m happy with our performance overall," Sorensen told the ECHO after the game. "I must say, playing against all three (City, United and Chelsea), that’s the best team and I think we matched them in large parts of the match.
"We’re actually really sad about the goals. I wish they scored one one of the other chances where they play really good and break us down…it is how it is. I still think performance wise we looked good in a lot of stuff so I think we should take confidence that the gap has been really big, it’s not closed, but it’s getting closer.”
Reflecting on the difference in quality between the two sides, the Everton boss said: “(City) are really, really good, really composed, really mature in decisions and everything they do, where we don’t have that maturity yet as a whole. We have a lot but we probably miss that.
"Also believing that we can do it. (Against) United I was disappointed because we were looking not so good but today, I hate losing, but looking at the performance it's a good step in the right direction.”
Everton will travel to Glanford Park next weekend, where they'll take on Sheffield United in the Conti Cup, before returning to league action against title hopefuls Arsenal in December. Asked about his thoughts on the season so far, Sorensen said: “We were not happy with the first West Ham game.
"I think we should have won that if you look at the game and the chances and so on but the rest has been probably as we expected. We were in the game against Chelsea, we were in the game today for the 90 minutes and that’s where we want to be. Overall I can’t be unhappy."
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