Everton were 4-0 winners at Birmingham City in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League despite losing goalkeeper Sandy MacIver to an early injury.
MacIver was unable to continue after a challenge outside the box on Claudia Walker, for which she was booked following a lengthy delay for treatment.
Tinja-Riikka Korpela replaced MacIver very early in the game but it was Everton who opened the scoring, when Hayley Ruso’s cut-back was turned in by Gill Scott.
Alisha Lehmann doubled the lead at the start of nine minutes of first-half stoppage time, heading home a Claire Emslie cross.
Scott was unlucky not to get her second just before the interval, her effort from outside the box hitting the bar before being gathered by Hannah Hampton.
Emslie lobbed the third five minutes after the restart when returning Hampton’s clearance with interest and Simone Magill completed the scoring with a 25-yard dipping strike.
The result saw Everton go within four points of fourth-placed Arsenal, while Birmingham remain just three points off the bottom in an increasingly tense relegation battle.
