Everton Ladies and Lincoln Ladies are both still waiting for their first wins of The FA WSL season after playing out a stalemate in blistering heat at Ashby Avenue on 30 April.
Everton, who have now drawn their opening three matches, had the better of the chances and thought they had nicked it in the last minute but Natasha Dowie’s header was chalked off for offside.
It was the visitors who started the stronger but it was The Lady Imps that created the first real chance after only 7 minutes.
Jess Clarke broke down the right hand side and the English international fired in a cross that hit the far post before being scrambled away for a corner.
From the corner Sue Smith whipped in a vicious cross that was acrobatically headed off the line by Brooke Chaplen.
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Everton’s Rachel Unitt also went close showing good vision and almost catching goalkeeper Nicola Hobbs off her line with a 30-yard lob, however the Lincoln shot stopper managed to scramble back in time to catch the ball under the bar.
Lincoln were forced to quickly re-organise when striker Carla Cantrell limped from the field after pulling up with a hamstring injury after just 14 minutes. It was a blow for Lincoln who have been short of firepower so far this season having only scored one goal in three.
Everton’s in-form Dowie, with three goals in two games, almost broke the deadlock for the Merseysiders five minutes into the second half when she cut in from the left-hand side before firing a fierce shot narrowly wide.
The lively forward had an even better chance four minutes later when she burst through with just Hobbs to beat but couldn’t capitalise and shot wide.
Lincoln substitute Stacey Aisthorpe wasted her side’s best chance of the match midway through the second half when she pounced on a misunderstanding in the visitors defence but fired tamely at Everton keeper Danielle Hill.
The real drama came late on as Everton thought they had secured all three points with 2 minutes to go courtesy of Dowie’s header but the celebrations were cut short as the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving both sides to settle for a share of the points.
Lincoln Ladies: Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Bradley, Stoney, Daly, Horwood (Harris 75), Walton, Smith (Barker 90), Staniforth, Clarke, Cantrell (Aisthorpe 14). Substitutes: Hawke, Little, Barker.
Everton Ladies: Hill, Easton, Whelan, Johnson, Unitt, Handley (Hinnigan 79), Chaplen, Duggan, Williams (Kane 30) Scott, Dowie. Substititues: Brown, Harries.
Referee: Helen Fulcher Attendance: 424
Player of the match: Sophie Walton (Lincoln)
Sportsister,
The Women’s Sports Magazine
Image credit: The FA via Getty Images
