Bennison snatches the points in stoppage time

Tottenham’s win over Reading on Saturday ensured that Brighton would be safe from the threat of relegation – and with the pressure off for the Seagulls, they travelled to Everton’s Walton Hall Park. Brian Sorensen’s Toffees would be able to cement a top-half finish with three points, but there were concerns that conceding eleven goals across two games would have taken a toll on the Everton defence.

EVE: Ramsey; S Holmgaard, K Holmgaard, Bjorn; Hope, Wheeler, Galli, Veje; Bennison; Snoeijs, Sorensen

BHA: Walsh; Morse, Bergsvand, Connolly; Pattinson, Terland, Olme, Kullberg; Robinson, Carter, Sarri

Less than ten minutes in, a rapid counterattack from the hosts saw Nicoline Sorensen break free on the right flank – but her powerful strike could only find the side netting. The opening exchanges had certainly shown signs of promise for both sides, and the game had found a nice tempo.

With 32 minutes on the clock, Everton finally took the lead as Katja Snoeijs nestled the ball past Megan Walsh – bagging her seventh goal of the season. The Seagulls looked to respond before the break, but Julia Olme fired over the crossbar from inside the box.

The visitors found a late equaliser though to ensure they headed into the break level. Having missed that chance just moments before, Olme played in Katie Robinson, who then sent a ball flying over Emily Ramsey to bring the Seagulls back into the game at half-time.

The second half lacked quality in truth, with Brighton happy to allow the hosts to control possession. Six minutes of injury time gave the Toffees chance to make that possession count, and that’s exactly what they did as Hanna Bennison found the back of the net with a sumptuous strike from the edge of the area.

That late strike ensures that Brian Sorensen’s side will finish in the top half of the WSL table – and arguably more importantly, ahead of local rivals Liverpool. As for Brighton, their remaining game will have no real impact on their season after Reading’s loss confirmed their top-flight status for another season.