Nick Cushing praised the professionalism of his Manchester City team as they shrugged off the emotions arising from his impending departure to the MLS team New York City FC to beat an organised Everton side 3-1 thanks to a Pauline Bremer double and Gemma Bonner goal.
“Wednesday was a difficult day, probably a bit of a shock for the team,” said Cushing of his announcement. “Maybe people thought there would be a hangover and a bit of emotion but I think the team showed how professional they are at winning football games.”
With England’s Ellen White on the bench, it would have been easy to think that they could falter under the face of this disruption against an Everton who are a side utterly transformed under the guidance of Willie Kirk. But Bremer, who looks reborn now having made just six league appearances across the previous two seasons thanks to a nasty leg break, punished the visiting team.
“I don’t think any time would be right to go, whether the club’s decision or my decision, whether it was in season or out of season,” said Cushing. “I think I’d always be heartbroken to leave this team. It’s been such a huge part of my life. It’s the right time now for some reasons, it’s not the perfect time but I trust this club and the people around it.
“I won the Continental Cup on the day my daughter was born and didn’t go to the birth because this team means so much to me. My son was born in the car in 2014 two days before we started pre-season with this team and my wife went off with the baby and I did pre-season and went to La Manga and didn’t take paternity. I’m so close to the team, it’s been such a huge part of my life but I don’t define this team.”
City, though, did not take long to get an assured footing in the game with England’s Georgia Stanway full of energy up front alongside a resurgent Bremer. In the sweeping rain the momentum was with City and on 18 minutes they had the breakthrough. Janine Beckie sent a crossfield pass to Lauren Hemp who squared to Caroline Weir. Tina Korpela got her body in front of the ball but Bremer was able to poke it over the line, much to the frustration of the goalkeeper, who screamed in vain at the referee, Amy Fearn, for handball.
With City in the ascendancy Everton’s Gabby George helped keep their deficit to one. First she blocked from Bremer after the German danced into the box with stepovers aplenty, then she threw herself in front of Stanway after Weir had slid her clean through. Everton, in their salmon-coloured shirts, were swimming upstream.
In the second half and amid chants of “There’s only one Nick Cushing”, Bremer grabbed her second, and ninth league goal of the season. Hemp nicked the ball on the left and played it to the German forward who, in acres of space, took a touch and powered her strike into the top corner.
Bonner extended the home team’s lead. With Bremer missing Walsh’s free-kick Bonner met it at the far post and scrambled it past Ellie Roebuck. A late Stanway own goal did so little to dampen the mood that the stadium announcer did not even see fit to mention it.