Everton head coach Scott Phelan was disappointed with his side’s first half performance as they went down 3-2 to Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Toffees had been on fantastic five-match winning run at home, but they were 3-0 down before they got going against Aston Villa. Goals from Holly McNamara and Noémie Mouchon then brought Everton back into the contest.
When speaking to the media after the game, Everton boss Phelan admitted that he was bitterly disappointed with how his side played in the first half and early in the second half.
“I’m disappointed, especially with the first half performance,” Phelan said. “We just looked half a yard off for some reason, which is surprising because we haven’t been in that way. Then, obviously, we’ve started the second half [badly] conceding a goal in transition. You just give yourself a mountain to climb.
“The girls showed some spirit which obviously counts for something. Yeah, it got a little bit more exciting towards the end, but I would say when you’re 3-0 down, it’s hard to recover from that.”
One positive for Everton was Australian international McNamara, who got her first start and her first WSL goal. Phelan gave a brief summary of why the time was right to hand the player the opportunity.
He said “We started her because she’s a good player and she’s added something to our team in terms of speed and threat on the line. That was obviously going to be in any game, that’s what she brings to the team. She probably had to wait a little bit longer for her first goal, but it was nice for her to get there. Hopefully, she can continue.”
Phelan also shared his thoughts on the fans who have stuck by The Toffees through thick and thin.
He said “The fans have been really good in most games, winning or losing and that proved the point today. I’m glad that we could give them a little bit more excitement in the second half. It’s just a shame we left ourselves too much to do and couldn’t get a point over the line. We’re disappointed overall, but the fans have been there.”
Everton return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Sheffield United in the Subway Players Cup.