Bragging rights to Rachel

But the Northern Division side made their top flight visitors scrap all the way. Villa took a two-goal lead then, after Everton had gone 4-2 in front, they battled back on to level terms before two late Tammy Byrne goals won the tie for the Toffees.

"We did okay in patches but we weren’t at our best," admitted Rachel after the game. "I’m glad we didn’t batter them for my dad’s sake, but credit to their girls because I thought they showed more passion than we did and they played well."

Despite seeing his team go out of the competition – and regardless of the ribbing he might take from his daughter at home – Terry was happy enough with his side after a highly entertaining match at Villa’s Sutton Coldfield ground.

"It was a bit strange to be up against Rachel for the first time and willing her team to lose," he said. "If we had won the game I’d have been upset for her as a father – but not as the manager of the opposition!

"I didn’t want her to play badly but I certainly wanted us to win, and we might just have scraped it after coming back to 4-4. But Everton did just enough to beat us, and now I’ll be hoping they go all the way to the final."

Elsewhere in the League Cup’s first round, there were two notable shocks as regional division sides Manchester City and Bristol City won away ties against top flight opponents Fulham and Chelsea respectively.

Northern Division side Manchester City beat the 2002 and 2003 League Cup winners in a penalty shoot-out after the tie had ended 1-1, while Southern Division City beat Chelsea 5-3 after extra time with Heidi Bevan notching a hat-trick.

League Cup holders Arsenal had their match against Wolves postponed as the Gunners were headed to Denmark to take part in a first round tournament of the UEFA Women’s Cup.

But last year’s League Cup runners-up Charlton Athletic moved smoothly through to the next round, England strikers Eni Aluko and Amanda Barr each bagging braces in a 6-0 win at Southern Division Cardiff City.