Everton manager Jean-Luc Vasseur admitted Jessica Naz’s goal was worthy of winning any game after his team slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the Hive.
The visitors made a positive start in the opening ten minutes as Izzy Christiansen, Toni Duggan and Anna Anvegard all threatened but failed to register an effort on target.
Grace Clinton also saw her effort superbly blocked before Duggan’s inch-perfect cross-cum-shot was tipped over by Tottenham goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela.
But despite Everton’s strong start, Tottenham prevailed thanks to Naz’s superb second-half effort - and Vasseur conceded that the strike was just too good for his goalkeeper.
“We have to accept and concede that it was a wonderful goal from Jessica Naz,” said Vasseur. “I think my goalkeeper couldn’t do anything if the player tried ten times.
“We need our players to believe in the project and come back stronger next year.”
Rehanne Skinner’s side registered their first real effort on target when Ria Percival’s dangerous cross to the near post found Rachel Williams, whose header flew inches over the crossbar.
The Lilywhites began the second half on the front foot and finally broke the deadlock in the 51st minute after Naz directed her curling effort into the top corner.
Moments later, Everton’s Anvegard almost equalised as her angled shot hit the woodwork.
The hosts could have doubled their lead in the 68th minute through Naz, who escaped Everton’s backline and fired a low-driving cross to Cho So-Hyun but she failed to meet the cross.
But Naz’s strike proved enough to secure all three points for Spurs and after the defeat left Everton in ninth place, Vasseur urged his side to take the positives from their first-half display.
“We had a very good first half with good control and had a good chance to score. At this moment, I think it was one of the best halves we played away from home,” he said.
“In the second half, we conceded an outstanding goal and this is football but we didn’t find chances to change the scoreline and we’ve got a lot of strikers out injured.
“The game was one of two halves. We played well in the first half with good control and didn’t score at those moments. I think it’s the gap for us to close and we didn’t succeed.
“But we should never give up. One day, we will set a positive and new momentum.”
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