Manchester United can look forward to competing in the FA Women’s Super League next season after securing their place with three games to spare, while there were top flight away wins for Birmingham City and Reading.
Results for Wednesday 17 April
FA WSL
Everton 1-3 Birmingham City
Yeovil Town 0-5 Reading
FA WC
Manchester United 5-0 Aston Villa
There were five different scorers as Manchester United won 5-0 over ten-player Aston Villa to secure a place in the FAWSL.
Millie Turner headed home from a corner to give Manchester United an early lead over Aston Villa and it was 2-0 on 21 minutes, Villa goalkeeper Sian Rogers conceding a penalty which Alex Greenwood converted.
Casey Stoney’s side were as good as promoted before the break, Jess Sigsworth racing away to slot a third past Rogers.
Four minutes into the second half United had their fourth, Ella Toone volleying home Lizzie Arnot’s cross.
Villa had Rogers sent off after 52 minutes and then Charlie Devlin made it 5-0, evading two sliding tackles before slotting past stand-in keeper Jade Richards.
.@MillieTurner_ opens the scoring! #MUWOMEN pic.twitter.com/O2PZsgoz0W
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) April 17, 2019
Birmingham City swiftly responded to going behind at Everton, after which an Ellen White brace brought them a 3-1 victory.
Everton’s Inessa Kaagman celebrated her birthday by firing into the roof of the net from Taylor Hinds’ cross.
However, the reply from City was instant as Lucy Quinn’s ball into the box was hit on the half-volley by Hayley Ladd, looping over keeper Kirstie Levell for the equaliser.
Levell made a diving save to keep out Claudia Walker’s 25-yard strike and at the other end Laura Hampton stopped Simone Magill’s effort at point-blank range and Hinds hit the rebound over the bar.
Birmingham were ahead on 34 minutes, Ladd’s corner knocked down by Kerys Harrop into the path of Ellen White to tap home.
White got her second of the evening to give Blues a two goal cushion midway through the half, nodding in a near-post corner by Ladd.
Royals bounce back
Reading recorded a 5-0 win at Yeovil Town in response to their SSE WFA Cup exit, with a Fara Williams special and doubles from subs Lauren Bruton and Millie Farrow.
Fara Williams, doing Fara Williams things… @ReadingFCWomen #FAWSL pic.twitter.com/qSRtIxJz0B
— The FA Women’s Super League (@FAWSL) April 17, 2019
Olivia Fergusson got through on goal for Yeovil but was thwarted by a great save from Grace Moloney, Reading then taking a 31st-minute lead with a superb Fara Williams’ curler into the top corner from outside the box.
Lauren Bruton took less than 10 minutes to score after coming off the bench at he start of the second period, Rakel Honnudottir setting her up with a back-heel.
Another super-sub for the Royals was Millie Farrow, who scored 9 minutes from the end after being teed up by Gemma Davison.
Bruton and Farrow went on to both complete braces in the dying minutes.
