Aileen Whelan handed Brighton their first Barclays Women’s Super League win in three attempts as a 38th-minute strike downed high-flying Everton.
KEY MOMENTS
Brighton were dominant in the first half and had a good opportunity in the first minute when Kayleigh Green won the ball 30 yards out, drove forward and played in Kirsty Barton who shot straight at Everton keeper Sandy Maclver.
Green was involved again minutes later as she raced down the left wing and pulled back a cross to Ini Umotong who attempted a back heel from just yards out, but she could not test Maclver.
Brighton continued to press and captain Dani Bowman’s free-kick on 18 minutes evaded everyone in the Everton penalty area but fell to Danique Kerkdijk at the far post. She had time to finish but dragged her shot inches wide.
The breakthrough came for Brighton on 38 minutes when Barton’s high cross was knocked down first time by Amanda Nilden for Aileen Whelan who was well positioned to slot the ball into the roof of the net for the opener.
Everton struggled to break down Brighton’s structured, hard-working defence but began to look more threatening by working the channels and getting crosses into the Brighton area during the second half.
Everton’s first clear chance came with 15 minutes left as Hannah Cain latched onto a long ball over the Brighton defence, but her shot was straight at Megan Walsh.
Another chance came minutes later when Chloe Kelly put in cross that was cleared to Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah on the edge of the Brighton area, but her snapshot went just wide of the bottom corner.
Everton pushed forward in the closing stages and Cain came close again in the final seconds with a shot from 20 yards, but Everton were unable to find the equaliser.
WHAT THEY SAID
Brighton manager Hope Powell said: “I was really pleased. They executed everything we’ve been working on all week. We’ve been very resilient; I think we should have scored more goals.
“We should have comfortably beaten them, credit to them in the second half, they really put us on the back foot, but we were resilient.
“The most important thing is the three points, and everybody played a part today.”
Everton manager Willie Kirk said: “Today’s a lesson, it doesn’t matter where you are in the league or who you are, if you’re not at it for 90 minutes then you will suffer the consequences.
“Brighton are a team where you know exactly what you’ll get from them, in the first half we were so far off it in terms of winning first balls and winning second balls so it showed today that if you drop your standards, your effort and attention to detail then you’ll pay the price.”
Brighton (4-5-1): Megan Walsh, Kirsty Barton, Danique Kerkdijk, Maya Le Tissier, Fliss Gibbons, Dani Bowman, Megan Connolly, Aileen Wheelan, Kayleigh Green, Amanda Nilden, Ini Umotong
Substitutes: Kate Natkiel for Umotong 65, Simpkins on Green 90
Substitutes not used: Cecilie Fiskerstrand, Beth Roe, Matilde Lundorf, Victoria Williams, Maxime Bennink
Goals: Aileen Whelan 38
Bookings: Ini Umotong 62, Kayleigh Green 81, Fliss Gibbons 86
Everton (4-3-3): Sandy MacIver, Taylor Hinds, Danielle Turner, Gabrielle George, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Inessa Kaagman, Chloe Kelly, Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Molly Pike, Lucy Graham, Megan Finnigan
Substitutes: Molly Pike off for Cain 45, Maeva Clemaron on for Stringer 65, Kika Van Es on for Inessa Kaagman 89
Substitutes not used: Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Esme Morgan, Hannah Coan
Bookings: Hannah Cain 90
Referee: Abigail Byrne
Attendance: 830
