Conti Cup holders Manchester City were held almost to half-time by Oxford United before running out 6-0 winners, while Everton beat Birmingham City by the only goal of the game.
Thursday 2nd November
FA WSL CONTINENTAL TYRES CUP
GROUP 2 NORTH
Everton 1-0 Birmingham City (Att: 181)
Oxford United 0-6 Manchester City (Att: 777)
Stanway breakthrough opens the floodgates
Oxford United rewarded a big crowd at Court Place Farm with some resilience, staying in the game against the might of Manchester City almost until the break.
Georgia Stanway had threatened several times but goalkeeper Demi Lambourne made a good save, Hannah Short got in a fine block and another effort grazed the crossbar.
But in the 45th minute, Nikita Parris won a penalty which Issy Christiansen converted and in first-half stoppage-time, Stanway punished a defensive error to make it 2-0.
Eight minutes after the restart and Stanway smashed in Claire Emslie’s cutback, with the latter then scoring 4 minutes later off a Megan Campbell long throw.
The bar denied Stanway her treble but Campbell did complete a hat-trick of assists, her throws providing goals in the last 10 minutes for Jen Beattie and Jane Ross.
Sweetman-Kirk sends Toffees top
Everton made it back to back wins with a Courtney Sweetman-Kirk goal enough to beat Birmingham City, replacing them as group leaders.
Simone Magill fired into the City side netting from a tight angle in the opening minutes but it was not long before Everton’s goal arrived.
With 13 minutes played, a long ball sent Courtney Sweetman-Kirk through on goal and she chipped retreating goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
Sweetman-Kirk was thwarted by Berger straight after the break and Megan Finnegan later went close to doubling the lead, with her 20-yard strike going just over.
Kirstie Levell kept the hosts ahead in the last 10 minutes, dealing well with Lucy Quinn’s swerving half-volley from the edge of the box and then making the save as Hayley Ladd broke through a crowded area.
