1-1 v Everton FC - 5 November 2023 - Home

A late penalty converted by Aurora Galli left us frustrated as we had to settle for a point in Sunday's Women's Super League clash with Everton at Brisbane Road.

Deservedly ahead at the break through Grace Clinton's header, we were made to rue a handful of missed chances as the visitors came back late in the game to secure a 1-1 draw, Galli blasting past Becky Spencer from the spot after Clinton was adjudged to have pushed Heather Payne to the ground in the box.

Spencer had shown her resilience throughout the contest, often involved in physical battles whenever the ball came her way, but it was her opposite number Courtney Brosnan who Everton had to thank for pulling off several saves, especially in the opening stages when she denied Drew Spence and Celin Bizet twice, all within the first six minutes.

The first half grew into an open affair, Eveliina Summanen lifting a long-range shot onto the roof of the net while Spencer made a good stop on her line to keep out Katja Soeijs' attempt from inside the area at the other end. Martha Thomas - named WSL Player of the Month this week and who had scored in each one of her appearances for us prior to this - pounced on an error at the back but was denied by Brosnan from a tight angle before we took the lead in the 43rd minute as Spence crossed from the right, Brosnan couldn't get to it in the air and Clinton was well-positioned to head home from the middle of the box.

Thomas went close with headers in the box either side of half-time, the first well saved by Brosnan and the second flying wide, while Spence's shot-on-the-turn was sharply saved before arguably our best chance of the second half as a cross into the box fell kindly for Clinton, whose fierce shot from six yards out was brilliantly blocked by Brosnan in the 55th minute.

Spence tried unsuccessfully to lob the keeper while Thomas' shot from 18 yards was again met by a good save, but despite Everton giving the ball away cheaply in their half on a handful of occasions, we just couldn't take advantage and eventually gifted the visitors a lifeline. After Angharad James had cleared Martina Piemonte's header off the line, Everton kept their attack alive and Clinton was penalised for her challenge on Payne inside the area, with Galli firing them level with aplomb via the resulting spot-kick. Lifted by the crowd, we looked determined to recover and find a winner, but after Ashleigh Neville's effort from out wide on the left was kept out by Brosnan at her near post, our final chance came and went when Summanen lifted a 25-yard free-kick over the bar in stoppage time.

The outcome was a frustrating one on the pitch, but there was good news off it at the start of the day with striker Ellie Brazil named in our matchday squad for the first time in more than a year after recovering from an ACL injury.