Manchester City consolidated their place at the top of the Women’s Super League table with a convincing win over Everton.
Brazilian forward Kerolin opened the scoring for City with a deflected shot from a tight angle midway through the first half.
Vivianne Miedema added a second just after the hour with a clinical finish from inside the box.
Everton spent the vast majority of the game defending in their own half and managed just a solitary shot on target to City’s 13.
However, Brian Sorensen’s side had cause to feel aggrieved that Martina Fernandez’s close-range strike from a corner was disallowed.
City’s victory was their 11th consecutive win in the WSL and they maintained their six-point lead over defending champions Chelsea, who were emphatic victors over West Ham.
Everton had initially frustrated City at the Joie Stadium as goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan produced fine stops to deny Khadija Shaw and Miedema.
But it just felt like a matter of time for Andree Jeglertz’s side and they took a deserved lead through Kerolin.
Everton left-back Maz Pacheco allowed Kerolin to get beyond her and the Brazilian’s low shot from a tight angle took a big deflection off Fernandez to deceive Brosnan.
Fernandez thought she had equalised when she fired high into the net from a few yards out.
However, Everton’s Ruby Mace was harshly deemed to have impeded City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita on the line.
There was a swagger about City’s second as Shaw deftly chipped the ball into the path of Miedema who picked her spot beyond Brosnan.
Everton introduced Hannah Blundell, who has joined on loan from Manchester United, and she had their best effort in open play with a powerful shot saved by Yamashita.
The Toffees remain 10th.
Shaw has been in fine form for City with 12 goals this season but this was a day when she drew a rare blank despite six big chances and an xG of 1.58.
The Jamaica striker found herself in some good positions but was thwarted by Brosnan or was unable to hit the target – a late toe-poke wide arguably her best effort.
Shaw still managed her fourth assist of the season, though, with a clever dink into the penalty area for Miedema to finish.
Jeglertz will have been most heartened by the performance of the lively Kerolin.
The 26-year-old joined City just under a year ago but injuries and form have hampered her time at the club.
Now she is now hitting something like her top form and this display was full of tricky runs and attacking threat.
There was more than an element of fortune about her goal, but it was richly deserved.
She now has five goal contributions in her past four WSL games with two goals and three assists.
On days when Shaw is not firing on all cylinders, Jeglertz’s knows City still have plenty of other players who will step up to impact the game.
Everton have an away tie at West Bromwich Albion in the Women’s FA Cup on Thursday (19:30 GMT kick-off).
Manchester City are also in FA Cup action but get a few more days off before they head to Bournemouth next Sunday (13:00).
