Nov 18,2024
Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan put in a fantastic display as Everton hauled themselves off the bottom of the Women's Super League table by beating Liverpool 1-0 to move up to ninth place.
Sunday marked the conclusion of an historic weekend in the English women's top flight, with matches taking place at the main stadia of the respective teams.
The last WSL Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was decided by a controversial penalty from Katja Snoeijs just before half-time as the Toffees secured a first league victory for Brian Sorensen’s side.
Liverpool, who now sit fifth, had a first-half goal ruled out, felt they had done enough to at least get a point but were left frustrated as Brosnan produced a string of fine saves.
Fellow Irish international Heather Payne played the full game for Everton, while Leanne Kiernan got 70 minutes for the Reds.
In the early game, Crystal Palace, this season’s WSL newcomers, dropped to the bottom of the table after Ebony Salmon scored a stoppage-time stunner to secure Aston Villa a 3-2 victory.
It was also a first win of the campaign for Villa, who conceded a 30th-minute opener to My Cato.
Ireland's Anna Patten cancelled it out 10 minutes later before Rachel Daly fired Villa into the lead for the first time, late on in the opening half.
Abbie Larkin was introduced with 25 minutes to play and Palace forward Annabel Blanchard thought she had done enough to earn a point when she drew the sides level in the 86th minute.
However, Salmon restored Villa’s lead with a brilliant strike in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to secure maximum points for the hosts.
The Eagles are level on five points with 10th-placed Leicester and West Ham in 11th, but have an inferior goal difference.
Elsewhere, Celin Bizet scored her maiden Manchester United goal to help them break their three-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over Leicester.
Three successive draws saw United in need of three points at the King Power Stadium, and they got them through strikes from Elisabeth Terland on the stroke of half-time and the Norway international in the second half.
Victory eases pressure on increasingly-scrutinised United boss Marc Skinner, drawing his fifth-placed side level on 15 points but having played one game fewer than Arsenal in fourth.
