Gabby George believes the best is yet to come from Everton in the Barclays Women’s Super League this season, with the defender confident standards will continue to be raised.

The Blues returned to Walton Hall Park on Sunday for their first outing of the calendar year and produced a thrilling performance in a 3-2 triumph over Reading.

It was Brian Sorensen’s side’s second consecutive win in the league after a dominant win over Tottenham Hotspur before the winter break, and George – who got on the scoresheet against Reading with a superb long-range strike - was satisfied Everton were able to pick up from where they left off.

“The three points were the main thing, but we wanted to start the year the way we finished 2022,” she told evertontv.

“We beat Spurs before the break and it was about maintaining that level of performance and we went and did that.

“There are still areas we can improve as we conceded two goals but the three points are the main thing and we’re happy we got them on the board.”

George led the Blues out at Walton Hall Park at the weekend and her final act of the afternoon was an outstanding strike from long range to restore the hosts’ two-goal advantage.

It was the 25-year-old’s first goal for Everton since a 3-3 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in October 2018, but the quality of the effort made the wait worthwhile.

“Karen [Holmgaard] played it out to me,” George recalled.

“I looked up at the clock and knew I was on minimum minutes.

“I thought, ‘I’m on my right foot, let’s have it’.

“Then the manager says, ‘Gabby, off’. I thought he might have kept me on for a bit longer!

“I hadn’t scored for a while, so it felt nice, but it was even better to get the win and have a great team performance.”

The newly-established full-back also helped set up Everton’s opener with her ball finding Katja Snoeijs who tapped home in the opening 10 minutes.

As the Blues embark on the second half of the campaign, George feels the team have now clicked and can begin to build momentum.

“I thought I had put it too close to the keeper so at this point so I’m glad Katja got on the end of it!”, she added.

“We want to try to put more balls in the box for Katja to score because we know what she’s capable of.

“She’s getting more goals as the season goes on and as a team I feel we’re gelling more.

“We’re getting more familiar with where everyone will be on the park and it’s getting better with each game.

“We want to finish as high as we can in the table, keep getting wins and put in great performances.

“Everything is starting to click that little bit more with every game and you can see our game plan coming out, which is nice to see.”

A key factor to Everton’s success in the WSL this season is the support from Evertonians.

The attendance record at Walton Hall Park has already been broken twice so far this season, and George is keen for that to continue.

“The fans have been amazing,” she said.

“The attendances are increasing game-on-game, the fans are getting louder and louder. We’re getting more songs sung and they’ve been amazing for us.

“They give us that push when the game hangs in the balance and we need to grind out to secure the three points.

“They push us over the line and, hopefully, we can more fans with every game.”

Tickets are on sale for Everton’s upcoming home games at Walton Hall Park with West Ham United on Sunday 22 January (1pm) and Birmingham City in the FA Cup on Sunday 29 January (1pm). Click here to purchase now.

Season Ticket, Lounge and Official Members can watch the action against West Ham for free and get discounted tickets for the Birmingham tie. Click here for more details.