Everton repeated their recent FAWSL win over Liverpool to knock them out of The FA Continental Tyres Women’s League Cup and thereby send Reading into the last eight.
Liverpool’s hopes of achieving the five-goal margin of victory they need to make it through to the quarter-finals were in tatters inside 10 minutes, as Everton took an early 2-0 lead.
Simone Magill and Taylor Hinds combined to set up a 2nd-minute chance which was well finish by Chaney Boye-Hlorkah, before Magill herself volleyed home as the Reds failed to clear a corner.
Although the hosts were back in it on 13 minutes when Niamh Fahey also found the net with a volley, the Toffees restored their two-goal lead as Elise Hughes – in her first start – headed a Boye-Hlorkah cross onto the post and then hit home the rebound.
After the break, Fran Kitching tipped Boye-Hlorkah’s 30-yard effort over the top and Liverpool’s Grace Coombs was denied by the crossbar, as Everton ran out 3-1 winners and finished third ahead of their local rivals.
Reading go through as group runner-up – together with winners Manchester United – and join Arsenal, Birmingham City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Manchester City and West Ham in Tuesday’s quarter-final draw.
