Everton 1, Liverpool FC Women 0: Reds Undone By Dodgy Pen In Merseyside Derby

Today at 12:30 PM

Liverpool saw a goal chalked off for a phantom foul before Everton were awarded a penalty for a foul a full yard outside of the box. The Reds were still below their standards despite the refereeing errors.

Everton 1 - 0 Liverpool

Everton: Snoeijs (pen) 41'

Liverpool: NA

Pre-Match

The Liverpool FC Women look to get back in the win column after a tough outing against league leaders Chelsea last weekend. The Reds make the trek across Stanley Park to take on Everton at Goodison Park. Everton are dead last in the table, but form goes out the window for a Merseyside Derby.

Matt Beard hands Teagan Micah her first action of the season after the Aussie goalkeeper missed out on the opening two months with an injury. She replaces Rachael Laws, who is not even on the bench. Hannah Silcock gets her first WSL start with Jasmine Matthews also missing from the gameday squad.

Fuka Nagano makes a return after missing the Chelsea match with an injury as well. Leanne Kiernan gets her second start in a row for the injured Sophie Roman Haug, who is now expected to be out until after the winter break. It was also announced earlier in the week that Lucy Parry is dealing with an achilles issue, and there is no timetable as of yet for her return.

First Half

The match gets underway on a classic cold and rainy day on Merseyside. Decent crowd on hand at Goodison.

Liverpool with some good control and ball movement early on. Leanne Kiernan spots the goalkeeper off her line in just the 3rd minute and drives the ball towards goal from distance and has Courtenay Brosnan scrambling to get back. The shot goes just over the crossbar and lands on the top of the net, looked like it may have beaten the keeper if it could have dropped just a little bit more.

Liverpool earn an early corner kick. The delivery comes in and is blocked behind by and Everton defender and the referee somehow gives a goal kick. Never change, WSL referees.

Liverpool committing to the high press early on as they try to force Everton into turnovers. Olivia Smith with great hustle to run down an Everton defender on the ball and tackle it away to keep it in the attacking zone.

Everton get away with one after the Blues lose the ball deep in their own half. The ball is popped up into the box and Olivia Smith stands her ground as Courtenay Brosnan jumps over her back to punch the ball away. Marie Höbinger got on the end of the punched ball and lofted it over a defender and into the net, but the referee somehow whistles Smith for a foul. Absolutely terrible call. If a foul were to be called it should have been on the keeper for going through the back of Smith.

Late challenge from Sara Holmgaard on Taylor Hinds gives Liverpool a free kick midway into the attacking half. The ball is played wide to Hinds, who skins her defender with a neat little cut back, but the following cross in cannot find a Liverpool attacker in the box.

Close from Liverpool! Jenna Clark sees her deflected ball into the box find Taylor Hinds on the left side of the box. The captain brings the bouncing ball down before turning and firing a shot off, but it whistles past the post.

Hannah Silcock with a loose pass in her own half goes directly to an Everton attacker. Teagan Micah dives low to her right to turn the ball around the post to deal with the first shot on goal this match. Liverpool do well to defend the resulting corner and end the attacking threat.

After playing most of the opening 30 minutes in the Everton half, Liverpool are struggling to keep possession when they get out of their own half now.

Penalty to Everton. Fuka Nagano with a clear foul about a yard outside the box. The referee immediately points to the spot, however. There is no VAR in the WSL to correct the clear and obvious error.

Goal Everton. Katja Snoeijs sends Teagan Micah the wrong way to take a lead late in the first half. Liverpool will feel particularly aggrieved having had a goal wrongly chalked off earlier in the half as well.

Liverpool try to find an equalizer late in the first half. The Reds push the ball forward down the left, then work it around to Marie Höbinger outside the top left edge of the box. The Austrian midfielder pushes the ball inside past one defender before unleashing a shot from outside the box, but Courtney Brosnan is able to parry the ball away just under the crossbar. That is Liverpool's first shot on target just moments before the referee blows for half time.

Second Half

No changes for Liverpool to start the second half. The Reds will need to step up their play in the final third if they are going to get anything out of this match.

Jenna Clark does very well to stride past two defenders to get near the Everton end line before crossing the ball. It is blocked out for a corner kick. It's a poor ball in from Höbinger that fails to beat the first defender, however.

So close from Liverpool! The Reds win the ball near midfield and get it down the channel for Olivia Smith. The teenager plays a ball on the ground into the box and it comes off the heel of a defender to Fuka Nagano. The midfielder drives a low shot towards goal that is saved, and she follows up to get to the ball first but her second shot is well saved again by Brosnan for a corner.

Olivia Smith goes down in the box as she tries to squeeze between two defenders. The referee waves play on. The replay shows there may have been minimal contact when the defender stuck her leg out initially, but Smith was definitely looking to draw the contact. Definitely a "seen it given" but the referee decided against a make up call for the Reds after the dreadful penalty call against them in the first half.

Matt Beard makes the first change of the game as Liverpool look to find a goal. Cornelia Kapocs comes on for Jenna Clark and Gemma Evans comes on for Hannah Silcock. Looks like the Reds will switch to a 4-3-3.

Liverpool really trying to force it with 25 minutes left to play. Taylor Hinds whips in a cross from the left that is flicked on by Leanne Kiernan from the middle of the box, but it is a very easy save for Brosnan. Fisk then tries a deep cross from the right a minute later and it comes all the way through for Brosnan to claim.

Ceri Holland does will to cut the ball inside past a defender and plays a square ball to Olivia Smith with her back to goal. The Canadian makes a sharp turn to get a step on her defender and unleashes a wicked shot from the top of the box, but it is right at Courtney Brosnan in goal.

Mia Enderby comes in for Leanne Kiernan in another change for the Reds. Kiernan again worked her socks off for Liverpool.

Ceri Holland gets shoved off the ball in the top corner of the box. She was going towards the corner flag with the ball, but it still looked to be a pretty clear foul.

Cornelia Kapocs with some great work on the left to dribble past her defender and cut the ball back for Mia Enderby in the center of the box. The young attacker tries to get her hits around the ball that is slightly behind her, but can't quite get the rotation and the ball goes wide of the goal.

Liverpool with a free kick taken short to Taylor Hinds on the left sees her cross blocked with what looks like a hand. It comes back to Marie Höbinger, who tries a shot from distance, but it goes just over the bar again.

Ceri Holland gets rugby tackled and lands on her shoulder. The referee allows the ball to run out and call for a throw in before allowing the medical staff to come on and see to Holland. She is able to come back on after the throw in comes into play.

One last roll of the dice for Liverpool as Matt Beard brings on Yana Daniels for Grace Fisk at right back. Five minutes plus extra time to find something here.

Ceri Holland goes for a tumble after a fair challenge and gets up limping. She immediately signals she needs a substitution.

Liverpool with a couple bodies in the box around the ball and Mia Enderby goes over the leg of a defender. Holmgaard had won the ball initially before catching Enderby on both the ankle and the knee, sending the youngster flying.

There will be eight minutes of extra time. There's enough time for a minor miracle here.

Yana Daniels drives a good cross into the box from the right wing. It goes across the face of goal and comes through to Taylor Hinds on the left side of the box. Hinds takes a poor touch and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

Daniels again with a brilliant cross in and it finds the head of Cornelia Kapocs. She can't get the header on goal and it comes out to Mia Enderby. She slips the ball in to Gemma Bonner, who gets a strong shot away, but it is saved by Brosnan. Boner tries to win the rebound and looks to have, but is whistled for a soft foul.

Mia Enderby wins a corner in the 98th minute. Teagen Micah comes up for it but Everton win the initial header. The referee blows for full time before the ball lands in front of Fuka Nagano.

Final Thoughts

That was brutal. Liverpool will absolutely feel hard done by, having had a goal chalked off for a phantom foul before seeing a penalty awarded to Everton for a foul clearly outside of the box. Liverpool also thought they should have had at least one penalty given in their favor in the second half.

Despite the poor refereeing, Liverpool still did not do nearly enough. The Reds were poor in the final third, frequently electing to lump a ball into the box or take a shot from distance rather than try to work the ball into a better shooting area.

Liverpool are now well adrift of the top five teams, sitting six points behind the next teams in the table. Everton clime out of the basement and into ninth in the table with the result.

The Reds will take a break from league play next weekend as they head to Newcastle for the second group stage match of the League Cup. Lot's of work to be done to get the squad back on track.