AN injury-time penalty from Everton’s Paige Williams inflicted an agonising 3-2 defeat on Oxford United in the FA Women’s Super League 2, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

Hosts Oxford led 2-0 thanks to early goals from Lauren Allison and Katie Stanley, but were unable to hold off the visitors and were pegged back by Michelle Hinnigan and Millie Turner efforts.

It had all started so well for the U’s, who took the lead after just 12 seconds in the match at Abingdon United’s Northcourt Road ground.

Advancing forward immediately from kick-off, Stanley played in Allison, who fired home past teenage goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.

Stanley came inches away from adding her name to the scoresheet in the 17th minute with an ambitious 40-yard lob which brought a sprawling save from Levell.

But a minute later she doubled the lead, ghosting in at the back post to emphatically convert Holly Pickett’s cross.

The visitors got themselves back into the game before the break when Hinnigan impressively curled a free-kick over the wall and beyond the despairing dive of goalkeeper Demi Lambourne.


United were able to withstand considerable pressure for the remainder of the first half as Everton searched for their equaliser, but their resistance was finally broken shortly after the hour mark.

Turner escaped her marker to head home powerfully from a corner.

The visitors looked the more likely to find a winner in the closing stages and only a superb double save from Lambourne prevented them from taking the lead in the 78th minute.

After fumbling a cross, she got down excellently to block Hinnigan’s shot, before springing back up to tip Simone Magill’s follow-up over the bar.

But with the final whistle looming, there was one final blow for the U’s.

Danielle Turner seized on Isi Meade’s underhit backpass before being pulled down by Lambourne in the box as she advanced on goal in the 92nd minute.

Williams made no mistake from the spot with a low drive into the right-hand corner to complete Everton’s comeback.

Oxford Utd: Lambourne, Meade, Bruce, Osborne-Ricketts, Lane, Hines, Nutman, Jaadla (Timms 83), Pickett (Franklin-Fraiture 76), Stanley, Allison (Simmonds 68). Subs not used: Cox, Chivers, Low.

Referee: S Berry.

Attendance: 275.