Seventh heaven for women in stunning display at Villa Park

Submitted by daniel on
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A sensational performance saw us hit seven goals against Aston Villa at Villa Park in the WSL on Sunday.

It was a display worthy of one of the biggest stages in English football as Martin Ho's team racked up 27 efforts at goal, with first goals for Signe Gaupset, Maika Hamano and Julie Blakstad.

Always in control, we found immediate answers when Villa responded - Cathinka Tandberg fired in for 4-2 seconds after Villa made it 3-2 and was there again for 6-3 two minutes after Villa replied for 5-3.

It was a superb response to last week's loss against Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and, for the time being, took us level with Arsenal in the WSL table.

Martin Ho made one change that saw Maika Hamano come in for Matilda Vinberg, while Villa boss Natalia Arroyo rung the changes with five to the team that had lost four on the spin before today.

The direction of travel in this encounter looked set from the first whistle. It took just four minutes for our well-drilled high press to create the first chance as Ellie Roebuck denied Bethany England from close range and a brilliant opener on 10 minutes as Signe Gaupset got away from Miriael Taylor and Lucy Staniforth, exchanged passes with Olivia Holdt and fired home.

Villa levelled against the run of play on 16 minutes as Kirsty Hanson ran on to Noelle Maritz's pass over the top and finished low past Lize Kop.

It was only minor respite for the home team as we dominated the rest of the half. England restored our lead in quick time - our responses, the story of the match - again with Holdt heavily involved, the skipper's shot deflecting off Anna Patten and looping home. It was soon 3-1 as Holdt's effort from Hanna Wijk's cross was initially blocked, but she picked up the rebound, beat Lynn Wilms and beat Roebuck at her near post. That was 3-1 - and 10 efforts at goal inside 30 minutes.

England then hit the post, Hamano blasted over and the Japan playmaker was denied one-on-one by Roebuck all before the half-time whistle.

The second half followed the same pattern. Holdt had an early strike saved by Roebuck, England diverted Blakstad's cross just over and Gaupset went for an audacious lob from halfway, just wide.

Villa kept going though and found another goal for 3-2 on 68 minutes, Oriane Jean-Francois' strike similar to England's in the first half, deflecting off Eveliina Summanen's attempt at a flying block and looping over Kop and home.

The response was instant - 12 seconds. Cathinka Tandberg's first touch of the bench released fellow substitute Matilda Vinberg, her effort was blocked into the path of Tandberg, who dispatched into the corner with a sweet strike from 22 yards.

Three minutes later - 72 on the clock - Tandberg sent Hamano clear on goal and she made no mistake, skipping past Roebuck before clipping home for 5-2.

Villa hit back again with Hanson's second from close range for 5-3 on 80 minutes but within two minutes, Wijk and Hamano set up Tandberg for her double, another clinical finish across Roebuck for 6-3.

Blakstad flicked home Vinberg's corner for 7-3 and Lenna Gunning-Williams almost put the icing on the cake with number eight in added time, her low shot skidding inches wide.