Everton Ladies, 1999-2000

 NEWS 

• May 25: Final League Table:

  Team                P    W   D   L   GF  GA   Pts
  Croydon            18   15   2   1   58  13   47
  Doncaster Belles   18   15   1   2   66  14   46
  Arsenal            18   13   2   3   73  13   41
  Everton            18   10   3   5   62  31   33
  Tranmere Rovers    18    9   1   8   43  36   28
  Southampton        18    5   3  10   23  32   18
  Millwall Lionesses 18    5   3  10   19  43   18
  Liverpool          18    4   4  10   15  38   16
  Reading Royals     18    3   2  13   20  84   11
  Aston Villa        18    0   1  17    6  81    1

• Feb 27: Croydon beat Everton 2-1 to reach the semi-finals of the women's FA Cup. Joanne Broadhurst put Croydon ahead with a 55th minute penalty, before Gemma Hunt grabbed the second in the 75th minute. Becky Easton scored for Everton.
  
• Oct 10: Everton's game was postponed. Other results:

            Aston Villa         0 - 1  Reading Royals
            Croydon             2 - 0  Liverpool
            Millwall Lionesses  1 - 5  Doncaster Belles
  

• Oct 3: Everton's game was postponed. Other results:

            Doncaster Belles    2 - 1  Liverpool     
            Croydon             1 - 0  Arsenal
            Tranmere Rovers     5 - 0  Aston Villa  
  	      

• Sept 29: Everton entertain Doncaster Belles in the FA Women's Premier League, National Division
• Sept 26: Everton will travel to Three Bridges (Crawley) of the Southern Division in the First Round of the Women's Premier League Cup 
• Sept 25: Everton tonked the Lady Owls:

            Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 8  Everton
            Bradford            0 - 3  Wolverhampton Wan.
  	      
  

• Sept 19: The Merseyside derby saw Everton slip up in the rain as they threw away two points from a game they dominated and should have won in the first half. Kelly Shimmin opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a great strike from outside the box but despite their pressure they failed to capitalise. Liverpool fought on and with just five minutes left, Clare Taylor, the Liverpool central defender, equalised.

            Aston Villa         0 - 6  Doncaster Belles
            Liverpool           1 - 1  Everton
            Croydon             0 - 3  Reading Royals
            Arsenal             3 - 0  Southampton Saints
            Millwall Lionesses  1 - 1  Tranmere Rovers
  	      
  

• Sept 12:  Latest National Division results:

            Aston Villa         2 - 4  Everton Ladies
            Doncaster Belles    0 - 2  Croydon
            Reading             0 - 3  Arsenal
            Tranmere Rovers     2 - 0  Southampton Saints
            Millwall Lionesses  3 - 0  Liverpool
  
  

• Sept 5:  Everton start the new season in rampant style, thrashing newly-promoted Reading 13-0. Story below
• Aug 29: Everton's new season inaugural trip to Millwall Lionesses appears to have been postponed.

            Aston Villa         0 - 4  Croydon
            Doncaster Belles    3 - 0  Southampton
            Tranmere Rovers     3 - 2  Arsenal
            Millwall Lionesses   -v-   Everton Ladies
  

 LINKS 

  READING SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF EVERTON

Shimmin scored her second soon after half-time and on the hour Marley was also on target again. Beck Easton, the England international, scored three minutes later and Shimmin and Barr then completed their hat-tricks.

Not to be outdone, Karen Burke scored a hat-trick of her own in as many minutes. Keith Marley, the Everton manager, said: "We have tougher tests ahead but hopefully this is the start of a good run for the team."

 THE MIGHTY ARE VANQUISHED

Back in May 1998 they were crowned Premiership champions, beaten only once all season, having finally broken the Nineties dominance of the Arsenal/Doncaster Belles/Croydon axis.

Yet midway through this season, the script could not be more different. Currently seventh, with just two wins in eight games, manager Keith Marley has conceded that his side have precious little chance of maintaining the National Division title.

"We have got to be realistic. With the season we've had so far it's very unlikely that we are going to hold on to the championship. I guess as champs we're there to be shot at and morale has been low at the club. The key thing now is to settle every one down and concentrate on the two cup competitions," said Marley.

On Sunday January 12, Everton were to take on Wembley Mill Hill at Marine FC in the fourth round of the AXA FA Women's Cup.  But the match was postponed.

Recently, Everton have looked confident enough, giving Blyth Spartans Kestrels a 5-0 trouncing in the third round of the AXA FA Premier League Cup. Goals by Ceryl Jones, Jackie Bertie, Tina Mason and Cathy Gore, plus a cruel deflection off Blyth's Melanie Reay, sealed the victory.

Everton now face rivals Tranmere in the semi-finals on January 24, after the disqualification of Garswood Saints for failing to complete their third round fixture.

It is Tranmere, of course, under the stewardship of Steve Williams, who have been the real Merseyside force nationally this season. Currently fourth, with five wins from seven games, they inflicted a humiliating 4-0 defeat on Marley's women in their last league fixture of 1998.

Marley is hoping Everton will at least match last year's League Cup run when they reached the semi-finals, only to be beaten 2-0 by Croydon. But he is all too aware of the threat that dark horses Tranmere pose.

"When we played them two weeks ago they were quite simply the better side. They've had a good season but believe me even if they were bottom of the league they would still always up for a game against us. They don't need much motivation!"

Everton were also severely embarrassed by the 1-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of underdogs Ilkeston at the close of last year. But Marley, who took over from long-serving manager Billy Jackson at the beginning of the season, insists he cannot pinpoint why his side is having such a tough time of it this time around.

"Even though our squad is a lot tighter and more focused than last year, we've had a few bad results and I can't really say what the problem is. We also realise that because we're the reigning champions other clubs step up their game when playing us," he added.