Point gained in WSL finale

Drew Spence netted her third league goal of the season as our Barclays Women’s Super League campaign ended in a 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday lunchtime.

The midfielder fired home after half an hour at Walton Hall Park to cancel out Veatriki Sarri’s opener from a 20-yard free-kick and, although Everton hit the woodwork through a Martina Fernandez header in the first half, we had the best chance to steal the points in the second half only for Jess Naz to be denied by Toffees’ goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.

The result ensured we maintain our record of being the only WSL team never to have lost on the final day of the season, however, the final table sees us finish second from bottom in the league after Leicester City defeated West Ham United to climb above us on goal difference, both sides ending on 20 points with five wins and five draws apiece.

The first effort of the game in the Merseyside sunshine came from the home side as Toni Payne’s 20-yard shot from the right angle of the area flew just a couple of yards over the bar, before they went in front in the 11th minute.  Ella Morris was booked for bringing down Katja Snoeijs and Sarri curled a left-footed free-kick over our defensive wall which Lize Kop got a good hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Everton were on top in the early stages and Fernandez sent a header from Justine Vanhaevermaet’s cross over Kop and against the crossbar as they kept up the pressure.

But we put a well-worked move together on the half hour to level the scores with our first real chance of the game. Morris slipped a ball down the inside right channel for Olivia Holdt who had time and space to deliver a low cross, Brosnan parried the ball out but only as far as Spence who swept home from eight yards out in front of our travelling fans.

We were much more in the contest for the remainder of the half and ended it with a Claire Hunt long-ranger that fizzed a yard wide before Vanhaevermaet’s header drifted past Kop’s far upright at the other end.

Like the first period, Everton started the brighter after the break and went close on 49 minutes after we gave away possession on halfway. Honaka Hayashi set Kelly Gago away through the middle, she cut back onto her left but Eveliina Sumannen recovered to help divert Gago’s shot wide.

We had a better chance five minutes later though, a superb cutback from Bethany England falling perfectly for Naz, who drilled in a shot from the edge of the area which Brosnan did well to save.

As the half wore on, the game was mostly being played in the middle third with clear-cut chances for either side hard to come by, although we were enjoying some good spells of possession, just lacking a final telling pass when it mattered most.

In the final stages, England’s low cross needed dealing with by Brosnan at her near post and we had shouts for a penalty waved away after Maite Oroz went down in the area, but ultimately there was disappointment as we couldn’t turn our possession into goals and it ended all square.

Match data

Goals: Everton - Sarri 11; Spurs - Spence 30

Yellow cards: Everton – Watson; Spurs – Morris, Hunt, Neville, Bartrip, Ahtinen, Thomas

Referee: Stacey Fullicks

Attendance: To follow

Weather: Sunny intervals, gentle breeze, 20 degrees

Venue: Walton Hall Park