Stalemate with Toffees in WSL

Despite enjoying almost 60 per cent possession and having 17 shots, we just couldn’t find the goal we craved with Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan making a number of good stops to keep us at bay. It was the first time this season that we’ve failed to score in a Barclays Women’s Super League match.

Head Coach Martin Ho made six changes from the midweek clash with Crystal Palace in the Subway Players Cup, although there was only one change from our last WSL outing a week ago, with Kirsty Hanson starting at the expense of Matilda Vinberg – Hanson sent in some useful deliveries from the flanks, but we just couldn’t capitalise to find a breakthrough.

On a sunny but chilly afternoon, the first sight of goal fell our way in the 14th minute, Signe Gaupset with quick feet to skip past a couple of challenges 20 yards out before lashing a shot which flew over the bar. Moments later, Lize Kop was called into action for the first time, diving down to her right to save Yuka Momiki’s left-footed drive.

A lovely sweeping move from front to back in the 20th minute almost led to our opener, Julie Blakstad flicking on Hanson’s header but Rion Ishikawa cleared it off the line, while Kop saved another Momiki effort from distance as both sides searched for the breakthrough.

Our first shot on target came five minutes before the interval and only a fine save from Brosnan denied us. A corner from our left landed at the feet of Olivia Holdt, who cut inside Ishikawa and hit a left-footed shot which the Everton keeper tipped over the bar.

And just five minutes into the second half came another great chance for us, this time Hanson with a cross which just evaded the head of Cathinka Tandberg but fell kindly to Blakstad at the back post, whose angled shot was blocked by Hannah Blundell.

There was a lot more urgency to our play after the interval as we knocked the ball about with more intent and delivered a number of enticing crosses from our right flank without quite finding a lilywhite shirt in the box. But, as we were enjoying one of our better spells of the game, Everton hit us on the counter with Rosa van Gool picking out the run of Ornella Vignola and she raced clear, only to see her right-footed shot drift wide of Kop’s far post.

At the other end, another glorious chance came our way on 63 minutes as Victoria Pelova clipped over a cross which Blakstad met with a header, only for Brosnan to make an excellent save to divert the ball just past the post. Holdt then fizzed in a drive from a tight angle which skimmed the crossbar on its way over as we continued to get into promising attacking areas.

For all our dominance though – Everton only had five touches inside our box throughout the entire game – we just couldn’t find that elusive first goal and Kop was forced into a rare save to keep out a Noemie Mouchon shot in the 83rd minute. With three minutes of the 90 remaining, we hit Everton with a counter-attack of our own but couldn’t make the most of the opportunity and it ended with Blakstad sending a looping header just over the bar.

The visitors then went close themselves as the game opened up in the final stages, Mouchon again with the opportunity, hitting a low angled effort that was only a yard past the far post and that was the final chance as we shared the spoils.

Line-ups

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Kop, Dijkstra (Naz 84), Koga, A Nilden, Blakstad, Spence (c), Gaupset, Holdt, Pelova, Hanson (Vinberg 72), Tandberg (Martinez 65). Substitutes (not used): Panengstuen, Morris, Wijk, M Nilden, Pierre, Gunning-Williams.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Brosnan (c), Blundell, Layzell, Ishikawa, Kitagawa, Wheeler, Mace, Momiki (Mouchon 79), van Gool, Pacheco, Vignola. Substitutes (not used): Foster-Inman, Hobinson, Cain, Rantala, Finnigan, Galli, Silcock, Howard.

Match data

Yellow cards: Spurs – Blakstad, Spence; Everton – Mace.

Referee: Emily Heaslip.

Venue: Brisbane Road.

Weather: Sunny intervals, light winds, nine degrees.

Attendance: 1,256.