Relieved Røa resist Everton comeback

Norway's Røa IL were made to cling on by Everton LFC in order to claim a UEFA Women's Champions League round of 16 berth but coach Geir Kristian Nordby was delighted his side made it.

First-leg advantage
Røa seemed on course to advance after a 3-0 home win in the first leg but Everton, who knocked out Norwegian side Team Strømmen with a last-gasp qualifying round goal, had seven members of the England squad which reached the final of UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ in their lineup. Emily Westwood scored early on before substitute Michelle Hinnigan added a second on 57 minutes, but despite constant home pressure, Røa held on to progress 3-2 on aggregate. "We are very happy to go through as we were prepared for a tough match," Nordby told uefa.com. "Having won 3-0 in the first leg in Norway I anticipated that Everton would have a real go, and they really did. They scored twice which put us under pressure but despite all that we are through which makes me even happier."

Zvezda reunion
The victory takes Røa into a round of 16 meeting next month with Russian champions Zvezda-2005, who defeated Nordby's side in the UEFA Women's Cup second qualifying round last season on their way to the final. "They knocked us out of last year's competition, but we have since gained experience and are better at preparing for tough opponents," the coach said.

Marley reflects
In contrast, Everton manager Mo Marley will now be concentrating on trying to overhaul Arsenal LFC in the FA Women's Premier League, as well as making sure they are back in Europe next season. "It's the most disappointing of victories and that speaks volumes," she said. "We couldn't have played any better but we should have been more clinical in front of goal. We paid the price for losing the first leg and even though we won the match and were completely dominant, European football is all about not conceding and winning the ties. Teams will find it very hard to play us here at Marine but that is something for the future."