On his reflections on the game and why the result transpired…
Because games can just get away from you really, really quickly. My feelings are strange really because I felt in the first half – particularly in the first 40 minutes – we were pretty good. Probably better than pretty good. I think the control we had in the game was very good. Then it’s just the four minutes either side of half-time, you can see how quickly the game can get away from you. Disappointing, obviously, to concede the [first] goal when we were so dominant, but I felt that the players still then got a grip of the game.
We could’ve been easily better than 1-0, even at 1-1 it could’ve probably been the scoreline that you’ve seen at the end quite easily. We hit the bar once, post twice, maybe Marie [Höbinger] has had a really good chance. [We had] lots of opportunities. There are a lot of things to improve, and we need to get better and we need to get fitter. The messaging to the players has been really positive. But we’ve got to really stick to what we do, and I think coming off it like we did either side of half-time has been our undoing.
On the fine margins of the result after hitting the woodwork several times…
Obviously the goal we scored goes in off the underside [of the bar] so it falls the right side of it. Football is funny sometimes where you can have games like that where you feel, particularly in that first 40 minutes, or first half, where you’re so superior and dominant but come in at 2-1. That’s football and it will always do that to you. We’ve probably felt a little bit aggrieved today. But I think the second half was probably a more even affair where Everton have started to come into it a lot more, feeling that confidence. When you’re 4-1 [down] that’s obviously quite a difficult environment to play in.
On Faye Kirby starting in goal and facing a ‘difficult’ day…
I don’t think it was a difficult day for her. I think she’ll feel that way. I thought she was exceptional and very, very good with everything she did with her build-up. Again, when you look at the goals; deflection, going in off the bar and post. They were kind of one-in-a-million goals. The first goal, she can’t do anything with but obviously we can be better with defending the corner. But Faye was never a moment where I hesitated because she’s very, very good and you’ve seen that today.
