National Premier League: Sunday, January 22, 2006

On a bright but bitter afternoon the intentions of visiting Bristol Academy were obvious from the kick off as they lined up with five across midfield behind the lone striker Katie Ward.

The gameplan of frustration was understandable, especially given the absence through injury of the dangerous Stef Curtis, but it did beg the question of how the formidable Everton Ladies defence was likely to be breached.

Everton Ladies, needing a win to keep their title hopes alive, pushed forward from the off and could have punished the visitors before they had settled into their defensive system.

A clever cushioned lay off by Michelle Evans gave Jody Handley the chance to turn and shoot but she was wide of the target before Evans split the defence wide open with a fine ball to send Handley through on goal.

The England striker rounded Siobhan Chamberlain but, on her left hand side, could only find the side netting from the angle.

Urged on by their enthusiastic followers, Bristol Academy now began to compete more succesfully in the midfield areas and the game, no doubt to their liking, became more scrappy.

Carrie Kveton and Corinne Yorston worked a nice exchange down the right to win a corner before a long ball by the Bristol newcomer Dolores Deasley almost got Katie Ward in behind the Everton defence.

Ward looked eager to show her pace and strength but was generally on her own and always had at least one more opponent to overcome.

On 15 minutes Kelly McDougall produced the first worthwhile attempt on goal, a stinging drive from 22 yards which Chamberlain tipped behind at full stretch.

Somehow the referee, dubbed Mr Bean by the travelling support, failed to recognise this and pointed for a goal kick.

For ten minutes the visitors tactics worked most fully. Pressing quickly in midfield and hurrying mistakes out of the home side, Bristol even managed to push on and provide some support to Ward.

Kveton began to look a potential danger down the Bristol right and Ward continued to chase willingly after anything put in her direction.

Sloppy work in the Everton defence resulted in Fara Williams being penalised, harshly, for foot up and Kveton tried a speculative effort from 30 yards out from the resulting free kick.

With the ball looping uncomfortably close to the angle, Rachel Brown bundled the ball behind for a corner.

This represented the height of the Bristol threat, however, and without ever gaining complete control of the midfield Everton were able to ask more serious questions of the visitors defence on their ventures forward.

Deasley and Emma Jones looked a promising pairing at the heart of the Bristol defence but the pace and movement of Handley was still able to catch them out at times.

McDougall produced a precise ball to send Handley through on Chamberlain but the finish was tame and the save comfortable.

Then Chantelle Parry set the striker away. This time, under pressure from Deasley, Handley struck a crisp low shot which Chamberlain did well to block with her feet.

With Everton Ladies now well on top but not convincing anyone that they might score the visitors suffered a massive blow in conceding a soft goal five minutes from half time.

Parry lifted a high, hopeful ball in from the right wing which Fara Williams came forward to contest with Chamberlain.

It should have been no contest for the towering keeper but she seemed to freeze and Williams was able to head home without even seeming to jump.

It was as though Chamberlain was worried about flattening her England colleague. She shouldn't have bothered, I'm sure Williams would have understood.

Williams, typically, had seen nothing but the ball and now her side had a vital lead.

Spurred on, Everton looked to press home their advantage. It needed a good clearance by Deasley when Evans skipped to the byeline and pulled over a dangerous ball and Williams was on hand to test Chamberlain with a difficult bouncing volley as the ball came loose, the keeper handling well on this occassion.

Half Time: Everton Ladies 1 Bristol Academy 0

Bristol Academy came out for the second half with Nicky Watts pushed up alongside Ward in attack and immediately we had a better game on our hands.

The Everton backline was caught out by a raking free kick out of the Bristol defence which Ward was able to head down into the path of Yorston.

Rachel Brown was out with typical bravery and alacrity to smother at Yorston's feet, requiring treatment before being able to continue.

It was still Everton looking the more likely scorers, however, especially as they were now able to work some decent moves through the midfield.

Rachel Unitt generally favours the more direct approach, though, and one of her most dangerous long passes sent Handley running clear again only for a heavy touch to allow Chamberlain to show her bravery in blocking twice.

Watching Unitt you sometimes wish she would venture forward more often. A strong runner with two excellent feet and fine delivery, you feel she would cause real damage in and around the opposition box.

Yet it is impossible to ignore the quality of her long passing. Always with an intended target and invariably reaching it, she plays the kind of quarter back passes David Beckham was spraying about when England lost in Northern Ireland.

The only problem with them is that, no matter how well they are played, they generally leave the forward with plenty to do. Service from closer quarters is usually more dangerous.

A good move between Williams and McDougall saw Parry scuff her volley at the back post before Handley was through again, this time fed by McDougall, but the striker took one touch too many and Chamberlain was again able to block.

After a quick break down the other end Katie Holtham tried an ambitious attempt which passed the far post and was immediately withdrawn.

Bristol Academy then produced an excellent move. Shelly Cox, Academy's impressively enterprising left back, started the move and after Yorston and Michelle Green had carried it on Cox was forward to square into Katie Ward.

After working so tirelessly it was a shame to see Ward miss her cue and shoot wide.

Kath Morgan required Chamberlain to hurry to reach her back header before Handley and the keeper in turn needed her defence to help her out in blocking Chantelle Parry's subsequent effort.

Then there was confusion at the other end with Lindsay Johnson taking a ball away from Rachel Brown inside the box as Bristol pressed but, in truth, Johnson looked nicely in control as she then strode to safety.

A fine move instigated by the immaculate Becky Easton saw Jody Handley move to the right to send a wicked ball across the face of goal.

As so often happens, however, if Handley is not in the middle then no-one is.

Although chances were still hard to come by the football was far more entertaining now than it had been before the break, particularly down the Everton right where Easton was engineering many of Everton's better moves and Shelly Cox was gamely trying to do the same for Bristol.

Much in the same mould as Easton in the way she goes about her business, Cox looked a potential challenger to Rachel Unitt on the international stage.

Unitt herself was in command along her flank where Carrie Kveton, lively earlier, was now kept too wide and isolated to carry a threat.

Another of Unitt's speared passes was superbly cut out by Deasley with Handley again prowling before Everton finally put the issue beyond doubt with five minutes remaining.

Once more it was McDougall feeding Handley and this time the Everton forward made no mistake, striding clear to bury her shot beyond Chamberlain.

Despite having missed a number of chances Handley thoroughly deserved her goal after posing a real threat throughout.

Bristol Academy continued to give everything they had and a nod down by the substitute Grainne Kierans gave the gallant youngster Nicky Watts a half chance but, stretching, her effort was too high.

Watts, completing her first 90 minutes at this level, had obviously found it difficult against Johnson and Fern Whelan but had never shirked from her task and shown good movement across the frontline.

Bristol Academy had certainly made Everton Ladies work hard for the spoils but there had been an air of inevitability about the outcome from the off and the Merseysiders' title challenge continues.

Full Time: Everton Ladies 2 Bristol Academy 0

Star Player: Becky Easton.

In a somewhat frantic encounter Easton was the epitome of calm efficiency.

Never beaten in defence, hardly wasting a ball, always available and possessing the rarest commodity on the field, time, Easton made things easy for herself and those around her.