“She just wants to score” - Brian Sorensen showers praise on Ornella Vignola after Merseyside Derby heroics

Ornella Vignola made history on her Everton debut after becoming the first Blues player, men’s or women’s, to score a hat-trick against Liverpool since the great Dixie Dean in 1931.

Everton Women’s head coach Brian Sorensen was effusive while showering praise on the summer signing from Granada and believes Vignola has “set the benchmark” for his side after her exploits in the 4-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

The 20-year-old levelled proceedings with a fantastic solo effort after 24 minutes before putting the game to bed by grabbing her second and third goals in the space of two minutes in the second half.

The second player to score a hat-trick on her debut in Women’s Super League history, the 20-year-old has also become the fourth-youngest to net a treble in this competition.

"She was superb and she has been like that in training," said Brian Sorensen after the game. "Her runs are so well-timed and the way she faces up and goes at players, she is excellent. She just wants to score.

"I said to her afterwards that she has set the benchmark for what I want to see. She is still a young player though, so let’s see.

"When you are that young, it’s hard to predict. It’s all about consistency from players and the team. That was what the summer was about. How can we build a team that has high value in young players we could grow?

“She’s so hungry in everything that she does. She keeps her head down and really just works until she is almost passing out. I’m not worried about that. She’s such a great character so we will see how she reacts in the next couple of games.

"If Ornella can continue like she did here week in week out, then we have a very good player on our hands."

Despite the final result, the Blues had a poor start to the game. They fell behind after Cornelia Kapocs gave the hosts an early lead. The defence also looked shaky on a few occasions as Liverpool rattled the woodwork twice in the first half.

“In football, there are things that happen that can change things in a game at the flip of a coin," admitted Sorensen. "She brought us back from a very deep place. I know that we would come back then. I think that moment changed the game.

“I’m really happy with the win, of course. We were not at our levels in those first 35 minutes.

"We had six debutants starting in the first game of the season, in the derby at Anfield, so I don’t know if that played a part. We connected about four passes in the first 20 minutes.

"We got back into it and saw character from the girls and in the second half we controlled it. It was good.”

While Vignola’s hat-trick might secure the headlines, the performance of another debutant, Maz Pacheco, was also instrumental in Everton’s victory. Pacheco provided the assists for Everton’s second and third goals, scored by skipper Katja Snoejis and Vignola respectively.

Pacheco joined Everton from Aston Villa this summer.

"The start was a little tricky!" said Sorensen. "Maz knows this league, she has done it before and doesn’t stress but it was not only Maz.

"The whole team felt like they were half-an-hour late. We got that fixed in the second half and showed what we were about. Credit to Maz, she has that calmness and later she makes a perfect assist. That’s character.”

 

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