Blues Wrap Up Season With Stellar Bristol Display

Everton fashionably rounded off the season with a 4-0 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon.

Katja Snoeijs set the tone for the afternoon early on and broke the deadlock inside 16 minutes with a superb curling effort that evaded the reach of the diving Fran Bentley.

The forward turned provider seven minutes later as she beat Brooke Aspin to the ball before finding Sara Holmgaard inside the area, who made no mistake from close-range to net her second in as many games.

Emma Bissell marked her return to the Robins’ stomping ground with a goal three minutes after the break. Katrine Veje raced forward before crossing to the far-post, where the unmarked Blue punished City for their sloppy marking.

Martina Piemonte completed the rout, slotting home Eleanor Dale's cross into the far corner deep into stoppage time.

Head coach and April’s Manager of the Month, Brian Sørensen made three changes to the side that were held to a draw by Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Veje came in for Elise Stenevik at the back, with Hanna Bennison and Aurora Galli replacing Lucy Hope and Karen Holmgaard.

Snoeijs opened the scoring in the 16^th minute after Holmgaard brought a lofted ball down to tee her up, with the Netherlands international excellently sweeping the ball into the far corner on the turn.

The roles were reversed seven minutes later as Snoeijs low cross was turned home by Holmgaard. The forward shrugged off the challenge of Aspin to burst into the box and pull it back to the advancing Dane, who fired past Bentley to double the Blues’ lead in style.

Holmgaard was in the thick of the action once more on the stroke of half-time as the 25-year-old came close with a towering header at the back post. Galli whipped in a trademark dangerous corner from the right that was met by the leaping midfielder. Her header sailed just wide of the target, though.

Bissell added a third three minutes after the interval after being found by Veje at the back-post. The full-back lofted an inviting cross that sailed over the heads of the Reds’ backline before being rifled home by the winger.

Ffion Morgan tested Courtney Brosnan from range two minutes later, but the shot-stopper comfortably caught her strike from afar.

Snoeijs came close to completing a brace on 52 minutes but skewed her volleyed attempt wide of the mark. Found on the right, Holmgaard flashed an enticing ball across the face of goal, with the 27-year-old meeting it at full-stretch. However, her first-time strike failed to hit the target.

Martina Piemonte came off the bench and looked a real handful for the Bristol-outfit’s defence. The Italian threatened deep into the second half but saw her glancing header bravely blocked before it could reach the target.

Fellow substitute Eleanor Dale had a sighting of goal moments later but failed to beat the outrushed Bentley. Snoeijs played an inch-perfect through ball to the forward, who fired wide of the mark with her first touch.

Everton's second-half substitutes combined four minutes into stoppage time to pick up the Blues' fourth of the afternoon.

Dale sent in a low cross from the right which found Piemonte unmarked in the box. The Italian took a touch before finishing into the bottom left-corner.

The result cements Sørensen’s side in eighth place, concluding a positive campaign consisting of several memorable moments.

By Ross Hughes