Liverpool held off a spirited Everton fightback to win their first away game of the Women’s Super League season at the home of their fiercest rivals.
Led by the brilliance of Ceri Holland, Gareth Taylor’s side stormed into a 3-0 lead at the break but were left hanging on after Zara Kramzar’s stoppage-yime goal built on Aurora Galli’s deflected free-kick to give the Blues hope of a famous comeback.
That was not to be, however, with the visitors surviving that late scare to take a valuable three points from Goodison Park despite having captain Grace Fisk sent off midway through the second half.
Liverpool started this midday kick-off the brighter and Maz Pacheco had already made an important block from Mia Enderby and Jenna Clark had seen a header cannon back off the post before Imma Gabarro was harshly penalised for handball.
Holland opened the scoring from 12 yards and the Reds doubled their lead in the 20th minute when Martina Fernandez glanced an Alejandra Bernabe cross past Courtney Brosnan and into her own goal.
Everton improved after Liverpool’s second and it took an important back post header from Risa Shimizu to keep the hosts at bay before Gabarro’s ambitious effort with the outside of her right boot almost had Jennifer Falk scrambling.
Any realistic hope of the Blues finding a route back into the game then appeared to have been ended by Holland’s sublime individual strike on the cusp of half time.
The 28-year-old picked the ball up 10 yards inside her own half and carried it into Brosnan’s box before picking out the top corner. It was a stunning solo effort from the Liverpool number 18 - whose heroics echoed those of her opposite number in Royal Blue at Anfield at the start of the season, when Ornella Vignola’s hat-trick humbled the Reds on their own turf.
The Reds were made to work for their revenge for that 4-1 defeat on the opening day of the WSL season, though. Everton survived a difficult start to the second half in which Gabarro was forced off injured and Fisk headed a good chance straight at Brosnan to find a foothold in the game.
The introduction of Melissa Lawley injected pace down the Blues right and Vignola became more involved before Galli’s free-kick deflected off Beata Olsson and past Falk to give Goodison hope.
When Fisk, booked in the first half for felling Gabarro as she surged into Liverpool territory, was shown a second yellow for dissent, Everton had the momentum.
Substitute Kelly Gago looked lively as the Blues dominated the ball and Pacheco fired a crisp volley wide before Kramzar struck the bar.
When the forward showed poise and ruthlessness to control and finish a clever Galli ball into the box it set up a grandstand seven minutes of stoppage time.
But Everton were unable to find an equaliser to secure what would have been a memorable comeback at the Grand Old Lady.
