Van Gool Helps Everton To Newcastle Victory

Rosa van Gool’s 60th-minute strike secured a 1-0 victory for Everton in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Newcastle United at Gateshead International Stadium.

The Netherlands-youth international decided the affair up north with an unstoppable finish in to the roof of the net after meeting Ellie Jones’ neat cut-back – the Blues unbeaten and unbreached from their first three matches.

The win comes less than 24 hours after Scott Phelan’s side drew 0-0 to Burnley in another pre-season fixture - Club captain Megan Finnigan making her return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury against the Clarets on Friday afternoon.

Courtney Brosnan was trusted in between the sticks, with a backline of Maz Pacheco, Hikaru Kitagawa, Rion Ishikawa and Issy Hobson in front of her.

Ruby Mace and Japanese duo Honoka Hayashi and Yuka Momiki formed the midfield, with a front-three of Ornella Vignola, Noemie Mouchon and Academy graduate Amy Pracy leading the line for the Blues.

Former-Foxes Mace and Momiki combined on 11 minutes to mark the Toffees’ first offence – the midfielder’s glancing header falling wide of the mark after she met Momiki’s whipped cross from the right.

The hosts threatened for the first time on 23 minutes as Brosnan palmed away Hildur Antonsdottir’s dipping, in-swinging corner from the left.

Three minutes later, Momiki stung the gloves of Anna Tamminen with a well-hit volley from the edge of the area.

At the other end, Beth Lumsden was a couple of yards away from meeting Jordan Nobbs’ low-cross after the Toon captain breached the Toffees’ box in a wide position.

Seconds later, Mace tested Tamminen with a low effort after the 22-year-old met Pracy’s tidy cut-back. Found centrally, Mace rifled an effort down the middle of the goal that the keeper was equal to.

A period of chaos ensued as Kaitlyn Torpey almost netted a spectacular goal with 45 minutes on the clock. The Aussie spotted the retreating Brosnan off her line and acrobatically volleyed the ball at goal. Thankfully, her audacious effort sailed on to the top of the goal, nestling in to the netting above its frame.

Only a minute later, Mace struck the woodwork despite a tight angle. On the counter, Pacheco drove forward before finding the advancing midfielder, who arrowed an effort against the near-post.

Mouchon then came close two minutes later, the French forward running on to a lofted ball before forcing the keeper in to a strong save at her near-post.

Phelan made a host of changes on 50 minutes, as Clare Wheeler, van Gool, Holly McNamara and Jones replaced Mouchon, Vignola, Mace and Pracy.

Five minutes later, Brosnan was called in to action as she denied Kathleen McGovern from the edge of the area.

Van Gool opened the scoring an hour in, the midfielder’s powerful strike rifling in to the roof of the net. Kitagawa found Jones with a delicate, clipped ball; which the youngster cut-back to the well-positioned van Gool. With her first touch, the midfielder elegantly swept the ball past the reach of Tamminen.

Ahead of the final-third, Ines Pereira, Divine Obida and Zara Plano replaced Kitagawa, Ishikawa and Brosnan.

Momiki was inches away from replicating her free-kick feats at Gateshead last season – her curling effort from 25-yards out saved on this occasion.

Hobson did excellently to maintain Everton’s clean sheet after Lumsden rounded Pereira inside the area. The forward seemed destined to finish in to the empty net, but was denied by the heroic Hobson, who blocked with her trailing leg.

Pereira then made a classy save to deny Oona Sevenius a long-range goal, the keeper springing in to action to get two strong hands behind the travelling ball.

Momiki then made way for Sophie Maxwell in the final change of the game.

The referee then concluded the affair, with season tickets for the exciting 2026/27 campaign on sale now!