Leicester edge out Everton for first win of WSL season

Leicester City recorded their first Women’s Super League win of the season against Everton at King Power Stadium.
Yuka Momiki’s superb solo goal inside the opening 10 minutes was enough for Amandine Miquel’s side to clinch their first win in all competitions since her arrival in the summer.
Everton’s latest defeat leaves them 11th in the WSL table, joint bottom alongside West Ham and Aston Villa who also remain winless after five games.
Brian Sorensen’s side started the game looking the most likely to score. Still searching for a first league goal of the season from one of their own players, a drilled effort from Honoka Hayashi was kept out well by Foxes goalkeeper Janina Leitzig.
Hayashi’s Japanese compatriot Momiki made the breakthrough for the hosts, collecting a pass from Shana Chossenotte and nutmegging Justine Vanhaevermaet before poking the ball past goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.
Leicester keeper Leitzig denied Everton twice in quick succession shortly after her side took the lead, keeping out captain Megan Finnigan’s volley, then rushing out to thwart Hayashi when she had been put through on goal.
Everton’s search for an equaliser continued after the break, but their inability to convert in front of goal remained. Substitute Toni Payne found Veatriki Sarri in the penalty area, but the Greece forward was only able to steer her effort across goal and wide.
Hannah Cain came on for Leicester for the final 25 minutes against her former side – her first appearance in 10 months after a second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury since joining from Everton.
Cain came close to adding a second goal for the Foxes, twice breaking down the right on counter-attacks but both times being denied by Brosnan.
Two other Leicester substitutes combined for the hosts’ best second-half chance late on, Janice Cayman squaring the ball to Asmita Ale who fired over from eight yards.
Leicester were almost made to pay for those late misses when Vanhaevermaet failed to find the target with a header, before Payne could not get a clean strike on a back-post volley in stoppage time.