Spurs Women defeated in first-ever meeting with Everton

A moment of magic from Everton skipper Lucy Graham ensured there was no way back for Spurs Women as we fell to a 3-1 defeat away to the Toffees on Sunday lunchtime.

In the first ever meeting between the sides in the women's game, we trailed 2-1 at half-time - Lucy Quinn on target for us after capitalising on a defensive mistake - but when Graham spectacularly curled into the top corner from outside the area, we were unable to respond, the hosts continuing their impressive Barclays FA Women's Super League form with another three points.

Both teams were guilty of making mistakes in the early going as we struggled to get to grips with Everton's press on a heavy pitch at Southport's Pure Stadium. Gabby George's low shot was comfortable for Becky Spencer but the goalkeeper couldn't keep out Molly Pike's back-post finish from Danielle Turner's left-sided cross as the Toffees took a seventh-minute lead. We were level 12 minutes later, though, as a mix-up between defender George and home goalkeeper Tinja-Riika Korpela saw Quinn turn the loose ball into the empty net.

We'd begun to seize control of the ball during that spell but Everton came back at us and after Spencer brilliantly saved Graham's header from Inessa Kaagman's free-kick, the latter's resulting corner was flicked on by Maeva Clemaron, hit defender Anna Filbey and rolled over the line for 2-1 in the 26th minute. Skipper Jenna Schillaci - in for her first WSL appearance since the opening day of the season as one of two changes made to the side from our last league outing against Arsenal, with wholesale alterations from the midweek Continental League Cup defeat at Chelsea - came across to dispossess Simone Magill in the box shortly before the break as the hosts chased a third.

Kit Graham might have found an opening for us a few minutes into the second half when she burst into the area from the left but Kika Van Es stopped her getting goal-side and tackled her, before a bolt from the blue from the forward's namesake at Everton gave the home side breathing space in the 56th minute. Pike found space in the right channel and swept the ball across for skipper Lucy Graham to run onto and send it spinning into the top corner from the edge of the box. Kelly tried her luck from distance two minutes later but rattled the crossbar.

Spencer was kept busy as Everton tried a handful of shots from long range but we didn't manage to create any meaningful opportunities at the other end - Kit Graham firing wide a couple of times - and a disappointing week came to a close with a third consecutive loss in all competitions, compounded by the news that Reading's win over Crystal Palace on Thursday has led to our elimination from this season's League Cup.

Coach's view

Head Coach Karen Hills reflected: "Overall it's just disappointing to come up here and lose 3-1 but I go back to saying that they're a good side and that's football. We've just got to pick ourselves up and look at ourselves, the players have to take accountability and I'm sure they'll go away as disappointed about the result as we will. They have to take ownership of what happens out on the pitch. The work rate was there in patches but we need to be more clinical in terms of goals and we saw that with the final goal from Everton. That's sometimes the difference - small margins - and today they were the better team."

Match data

Goals: Everton - Pike 7, Filbey (OG) 26, Graham 56; Spurs - Quinn 19.

Yellow cards: Everton - Morgan 35, George 43, Kaagman 90+1; Spurs - Green 23, Leon 67.

Referee: Michael Barlow.

Venue: The Pure Stadium, Southport.

Weather: Thick cloud, cold, nine degrees.

Attendance: 150.