Spurs Women secure best-ever finish in WSL with a point at Everton

Spurs Women secured the Club's highest-ever finish in women's football with a 2-2 draw against Everton on Sunday evening.

The point means we'll finish no lower than sixth place in only our third season in the Women's Super League, having finished seventh in our debut season in 2019/20 and eighth last term. We're also up to 29 points - nine better than the 20 gained in both of those first two WSL campaigns.

A draw from either of our last two matches against title-chasing Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday (7.15pm) or our WSL season finale against Leicester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday week (8 May, 12noon) looks likely to clinch fifth place.

It could, and maybe should, have been even better after we dominated for long periods against Everton at the Walton Hall Park Stadium in Liverpool. Ahead early via Asmita Ale's first WSL goal for us, we had a number of chances to put the game beyond the reach of the hosts before a thrilling finish saw Danielle Turner equalise on 85 minutes, Josie Green restore our advantage seconds later only for Megan Finnigan to level in the first minute of added time.

Rehanne Skinner made four changes from the narrow 2-1 loss against Chelsea on Thursday night with goalkeeper Becky Spencer, Ashleigh Neville, Eveliina Summanen and Jiali Tang all coming back in to the starting line-up.

It was all action from the first whistle as Rosella Ayane drilled in an early shot taken by Courtney Brosnan. Lucy Graham fired wide from 16 yards a minute later and we were in front with less than five minutes on the clock. Rachel Williams released Summanen into the box and she unselfishly squared for Ale to tap home.

The chances kept coming - Ayane skipped around the advancing Brosnan from Neville's pass only for Gabby George to block, Toni Duggan and Anna Anvegard headed just wide for Everton, Summanen did the same from Molly Bartrip's corner. Shelina Zadorsky did enough to divert Poppy Pattinson's effort wide and then Williams latched onto Neville's pass and forced a fine save from Brosnan.

That was on the half-hour and we dominated for the next 55 minutes. Williams caused problems for Everton from Bartrip's corner deliveries, heading one chance wide and setting up Tang's volley over. Neville couldn't turn Ayane's cross on target and Ayane tested Brosnan again before the break.

After a quiet start, we racked up three quickfire chances midway through the second half. So-hyun Cho, off the bench at half-time, spun her marker and was inches wide with an audacious effort from 35 yards. Brosnan then denied Ayane twice, the first down to her right, the second even better, reaching high to tip a curler onto the crossbar.

Everton rarely threatened but found an equaliser from nowhere when Turner got between defenders to glance home Kenza Dali's cross on 85 minutes. However, it took about 20 seconds for us to restore our advantage when substitutes Jess Naz and Green combined, Naz getting to the right byline before crossing for Green to slide home for 2-1 with her first touch.

Everton kept pushing though, Bartrip did well to block point-blank from Pattinson on 88 minutes the equaliser arrived in the 91st minute as we half-cleared a corner and Hanna Bennison crossed for Finnigan flying in at the far post to head home for 2-2.

Match data

Goals: Everton - Turner 85, Finnigan 90+1; Spurs - Ale 5, Green 85.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Clemaron 45.

Referee: Lauren Impey.

Venue: Walton Hall Park, Liverpool.

Weather: Mild, 13 degrees at kick-off.