Chelsea 4 Everton 0: Kerr and Kirby on target as Blues crush Toffees in their first home win of the WSL season
FRAN KIRBY and Sam Kerr combined to deadly effect to help Chelsea bounce back from their season-opening loss in style.
A Kirby wonder strike and a Kerr bullet header were among the goals that sealed an emphatic 4-0 victory against Everton
And super-sub Beth England got in on the act with the champions’ final goal consigning the Toffees to a second successive 4-0 defeat
The victory played at the Blues’ home ground in front of 2,379 chanting fans, capped off a good day at the office for Hayes.
The Kingsmeadow boss was celebrating her 250th game in charge with her team set to find out who they will play in the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.
After the game, Hayes said: “For the amount of shots we had it shouldn’t have been 4-0 and we need to be more clinical, but I’m happier about the clean sheet.
“I think we worked on things to improve our shape from last week to now. We’re just getting going but it’s three points and we’re really happy about it.
“And I’m so delighted for Beth England to come in the game and get her first goal (of the season).
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“She worked so hard in the off-season and she’s back in the England squad, she was an invaluable part of the squad.
“But equally, delighted for Sam and Fran to get to open up for the season.”
Chelsea, who moved to sixth, got on the attack early with Ji So-yun seeing her shot blocked within the first few minutes.
And Sam Kerr forced a fine save from Sandy MacIver at the near post moments later with the England keeper reacting swiftly to the forward’s shot
It took the champs – who had 63% of possession in the first quarter – 24 minutes to opening the scoring
And just as Everton appeared to be settling into the game, Kirby struck with Chelsea’s opener cutting the ball onto her favoured right foot before curling it beyond MacIver.
Hayes aces came close to tripling their lead moments after the half-hour with a glorious double chance.
First through Kerr and then through Harder whose, low drive went inches wide of the post.
The second-half saw no let-up from the champs who increased their lead minutes into that period.
They went in front with Sam Kerr passing the ball into an empty net after Megan Finnegan’s mistimed pass.
The Matildas skipper registered her brace with a bullet header with just over a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining.
And substitute Beth England wrapped up the win with a late tap-in.
The result leaves the Toffees, who strengthened their ranks with nine new summer signings, bottom of the table ahead of the international break.
And Everton Women’s director Sarvar Islmailov – who is the 26-year-old nephew of club owner Alisher Usmanov – described the result as “unacceptable” in a tweet that was later deleted.
After the game Toffees boss, Willie Kirk told reporters: “The first two results have been really poor.
“I’m not accepting them and the players are not accepting them.
“I don’t think anyone has patience now and with the investment in the squad we need to see results quick.
“But we also need to be realistic and look at the investment outside of the playing squad and the gap between the investment we make and investment the top teams make.
“But the results, the 4-0s, are not down to investment and that’s my responsibility.”
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