Martina Fernandez sends rallying cry to Everton Women after FA Cup loss vs Liverpool
Martina Fernandez has urged the Everton Women squad to use the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool as fuel for the rest of the season, despite the hurt it has caused.
Everton fell behind in the 34th minute on Sunday at St Helens Stadium when Mia Enderby bundled the ball home, before being stretchered off shortly after.
There was an element of controversy about Liverpool’s second as Beata Olsson appeared to handle the ball before flicking her shot past goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.
Scott Phelan‘s side pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute through a Jennifer Falk own goal, but it wasn’t enough as Liverpool reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Despite this disappointing defeat for Everton, defender Fernandez thanked the fans for their support and vowed to kick on from this setback.
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Martinez Fernandez demands Everton response against Tottenham
Everton and the other Women’s Super League sides are now on a break until mid-March as their players head off to represent their countries.
The Toffees, who sit eighth in the WSL, are next in action away to fifth-placed Tottenham on 15 March as they seek to build on three straight league victories.
While this loss to their bitter rivals will definitely sting, Fernandez is confident they can bounce back next time out.
She said: “The next game, when we come back from the international or the next derby, this hurts, this is like our fuel, and this will make sure we will give our everything, and we need to know that the fans will give everything because that hurts also for them.
“We have the best fans absolutely, and as I said last week, they are our number 12 player, so we need them more than ever, we need to keep pushing, and we have like three good results like the last three weeks, so we need to stick to that also and keep working together with the fans.”
Everton may certainly need their fans, as after the Tottenham game, Phelan’s side travel to second-placed Manchester United on 21 March.
They then have the chance to secure revenge over Liverpool, this time in the league, a week later.
Everton miss huge FA Cup opportunity
This was a game Everton would have fancied their chances of winning. Liverpool sit 11th in the league, three places and seven points worse off than their Merseyside rivals.
The Reds are just one point above the WSL’s relegation zone, but Everton were made to look like the strugglers in th FA Cup tie.
Liverpool had nearly three times as many shots, a lot more possession, and more touches in the opposition’s box and were deserved winners.
Everton did work Liverpool’s goalkeeper more, but had it not been for an own goal, they would have lost more convincingly.
The Toffees went into this fixture off the back of three league wins in a row, but they looked bereft of ideas and quality in the first half.
When they got going in the second, the damage had already been done.
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