Arsenal manager Shelley Kerr was given the perfect send-off yesterday after guiding Arsenal to their 13th FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Everton.

Kelly Smith’s first-half free-kick and Yukari Kinga’s goal mid-way through the second half was enough to beat the Merseyside team who were fortunate to only lose the game by two goals.

The Gunners have only lost one FA Cup final in their history — in 2010 when they were defeated by Everton.

The Toffees started off the brighter of the two sides but striker Nikita Parris couldn’t find the target after doing all the hard work by racing clear of the Arsenal defence.

Rachel Yankey went close in the ninth minute but her left-footed strike cannoned off the post, with Everton goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis beaten.

Five minutes later, Arsenal opened up the scoring. A free-kick just outside the area was taken by the captain and Smith’s left-footed strike found the top left corner.

Everton responded well but could have found themselves two down before the break when Danielle Carter was given all the space in the world to pick her spot from the edge of the box and was unlucky to only find the outside of the woodwork.

Five minutes into the second-half and Arsenal were once again denied by the woodwork.

This time it was Smith who saw her left-footed curling shot from the edge of the box strike the post.

The captain then turned provider when her cut-back was calmly guided into the bottom corner by Kinga.

Arsenal continued to dictate the tempo for the remainder of the game and had a few more chances but were denied by Brown-Finnis.

Carter should have made it three in the dying minutes but saw her header fly over despite being unmarked in the box.