Aston Villa 3-3 Everton

Aston Villa were made to settle for a point in the Barclays Women’s Super League, after an Everton goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time saw the spoils shared in an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Kelly Gago had put the visitors ahead with 11 minutes on the clock on Sunday afternoon, but Georgia Mullett’s first goal at Villa Park eight minutes into first-half stoppage time saw the two teams locked at 1-1 at the break. 

A pulsating second period saw Kirsty Hanson put Natalia Arroyo’s side ahead just before the hour, though Everton hit back 11 minutes later through Hikaru Kitagawa’s stunner.

An own goal from Ruby Mace 16 minutes from the end meant Villa thought they had secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but deep into stoppage time, Gago popped up again in the area to snatch a point for her side.

The draw sees Arroyo’s Villans stretch their unbeaten streak to six matches, ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Manchester United (ko 12pm).

It was the visitors who started the stronger in B6, creating a few early chances inside the opening 10 minutes.

First, Rosa van Gool looped a header onto the roof of the net after good work from Gago to hook the ball back across, before van Gool then intercepted a loose pass out from Lynn Wilms and fired narrowly wide of the near post.

And, after Anna Patten was alert to hack a header off the line from former Villan Maz Pacheco, the Toffees had a deserved lead a minute later, Gago finding the far corner well from just inside the area after shifting the ball onto her left foot.

But Villa responded, enjoying more possession as the game passed the quarter-hour mark in search of an equaliser. And, after Toni Payne had dragged an effort wide for Everton before Sabrina D’Angelo came out well to thwart van Gool, it was all Villa for the remainder of the first period.

Missy Bo Kearns, starting with the captain’s armband, was a constant threat for the hosts, and found Hanson well inside the area who turned neatly but couldn’t direct her effort on target.

Four minutes later came Kearns’ opportunity to turn inside the box, though she was quickly charged down as it looked as though the Villans would head into the half-time break a goal behind.

However, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, they had the leveller they were good value for, Mullett netting her second goal in as many games having scored her first senior goal for Arroyo’s side last time out against Bristol City in the Subway Women’s League Cup.

Rachel Maltby swung a deep ball to the back post which was knocked back across by Noelle Maritz, giving Mullett the simple task of turning home from close range and sending the hosts in at the interval level.

A breathless second period saw both sides burst out of the traps in an attempt to score what could have proved a crucial third goal, with both Payne and Gago again threatening for the visitors.

But having soaked up more Toffees pressure early in the second half, it was Villa who took the lead for the first time in the afternoon just before the hour mark, through Hanson.

The lively Mullett did well to get the better of Martina Fernández in behind, when latching onto a long ball forward, and she spotted and located the run of Hanson in the centre, who finished well at the near post to complete the hosts’ turnaround.

But the joy for Arroyo and her players was short lived, as Brian Sørensen’s side responded 11 minutes later. Kitagawa, having only been introduced as a substitute five minutes prior, received a tee up from Fernández on the edge of the area, bending superbly into the far corner to restore parity once again.

But in a topsy-turvy second period, it took Villa just four further minutes to restore their advantage, with a helping hand from Mace. After the hosts took a corner short, Ebony Salmon’s effort was diverted into her own net by the Everton defender, and Arroyo’s side had 16 minutes to see out another victory.

Salmon’s introduction from the bench had given Villa more of an attacking spark, and she was threatening as her side looked to finish the job. A minute later, she was denied by goalkeeper Emily Ramsey having found herself in behind, before flashing a ball across the face of goal moments later which Mullett could not connect with.

But the Merseyside outfit would not go down without a fight, and spent the final 10 minutes throwing bodies forward in search of a dramatic equaliser. Five minutes remained when substitute Rion Ishikawa lashed an effort against the crossbar, just minutes after D’Angelo had been called into action to beat another effort away.

And in the fourth minute of added time, Villa’s resistance was broken for the third time, as the Toffees stole a point at the death. Ornella Vignola did well to fashion out a cross which Gago battled to win, beating the Villa defence to the second ball and smashing past D’Angelo unopposed to snatch a share of the spoils.