Manchester United 3-1 Everton: Women’s Super League – as it happened | Football

Suzanne Wrack was at Old Trafford for us – I’ll leave you with her match report. Thanks for your company and emails, bye!

The player of the match is Alessia Russo

“What a day. It’s been really special to play here in front of our friends and family – getting three points was the main thing and the two headers are a bonus. Everton pose a threat but we had to be resilient and in the end we got the result.”

Peep peep! United’s big day went to plan in the end. They were given a nasty surprise when Claire Emslie cracked Everton into an early lead, but two brilliant headers from Alessia Russo and a penalty from Katie Zelem gave them a deserved victory. They stay third in the table, three points ahead of Manchester City, whose game against Birmingham was postponed.

It was a good game and a great occasion, the first time United have played in front of supporters at Old Trafford. We haven’t heard an official attendance yet but it looked in excess of 20,000.

90+5 min The substitute Bruun tries to finish the game in style with an up and under from 45 yards. It’s pushed away by the diving MacIver, though I think it would have swirled wide anyway.

89 min Two more changes for United. Vilde Boe Risa and Signe Bruun come on for Ella Toone and the superb Alessia Russo, who has also just been announced as the player of the match.

87 min George makes a desperate tackle on Hanson in the area. She did get the ball, in fairaness, and there were no appeals for a penalty.

87 min Everton have contributed plenty to a really good game, but there’s no doubt that United deserve to win.

86 min Goal difference could be decisive in the race for a Champions League place, and United are still charging round in pursuit of a fourth.

That’ll do! Alessia Russo gets her second and United are heading for victory. Zelem stood up a corner from the right towards Russo, who looped another superb header over both MacIver and Graham on the line.

83 min Both teams are starting to tire. Indeed United are making another change – the excellent Jackie Groenen off is replaced by Jade Moore.

79 min The Unitd keeper Mary Earps is receiving treatment. It looks like a problem with her right foot, though she’s going to continue. She’s also just delivered a ferocious and mildly comical brollocking to one of the United defenders, I’m not sure why.

77 min These are dangerous times for United, with Everton looking more menacing than at any time since the first 15 minutes.

75 min Toone, put through on goal by Hanson, is wrongly flagged offside. It was a tight decision this time, and I’m not sure it mattered anyway – Toone went round MacIver but overran the ball and was dispossessed by George.

73 min Everton are starting to threaten again. Bennison finds the goalscorer Emslie, who wriggles away from Blundell on the right of the area and curls not far wide of the far post.

72 min And now a change for United: Martha Thomas is replaced by Kirsty Hanson.

71 min Thomas twists Pattinson inside out and curls a deep cross that just evades the leaping Galton at the far post.

70 min Another change for Everton: Kenza Dali is replaced by Hanna Bennison.

70 min After good play from Galli, Graham curls wide from 25 yards.

70 min United have been much the better team but they will be nervous while the score remains 2-1. If they don’t win today, a Champions League place will be a long way off.

64 min Duggan is down injured, but it looks like she’ll be okay to continue.

62 min: Thomas has a goal disallowed! And I’m sad to say it’s a shocking decision. Zelem’s cross from the left is headed across the area by Galton and stabbed towards goal by Thorisdottir. MacIver makes an unbelievable reaction save, Thomas puts the loose ball into the net – and then the flag goes up for an unspecified offside. It can only be against Thorisdottir, though replays show she was well onside.

61 min Turner makes a vital last-ditch challenge on Galton, who was charging onto an imaginative through pass from Toone (I think).

58 min A deft layoff from Duggan finds George, who blasts over from 20 yards with her weaker right foot.

57 min United have lost the lead quite a few times this season – mostly away from home, it’s true, but they’ll still be conscious of that if it’s still 2-1 going into the final quarter.

55 min Graham did really well inititally to block a cutback from Batlle. But then Thomas appeared on the blind side to poke the loose ball away and Graham brought her down.

The captain Katie Zelem smashes the penalty high into the net! MacIver went the wrong way, to her right.

53 min: Penalty to United! Thomas goes over after a lunge from Graham, who pleads that she got the ball. She didn’t.

52 min Everton have switched to a 4-2-3-1 by the way: Graham left, Emslie right and Dali playing behind Duggan.

50 min: Great chance for United! Thomas beats Pattinson on the right with a glorious Cruyff turn. Then she looks up and curls a deep cross to the unmarked Toone, who pings a half-volley over the bar from close range. United should be ahead.

46 min A fast start to the second half from United. Galton surges infield and stabs a pass through to Russo, whose dangerous low cross is well claimed by MacIver.

46 min Peep peep! United begin the second half. Everton have made a change, with Lucy Graham replacing Nathalie Bjorn. That probably means a switch to a back four.

Peep peep! The big game at Old Trafford has been illuminated by two fine goals. Claire Emslie drove Everton into an early lead; Alessia Russo headed a deserved equaliser for United. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

43 min: Just wide from Christiansen! That was a terrific break from Everton. The impressive Dali drove a long pass out to Emslie, whose early low cross found Duggan in the area. She turned and teed up Christiansen, whose rising drive from the edge of the area flew just wide

42 min Thomas’s cross is cleared well by George, lunging towards her own goal. It’s all United at the moment.

39 min It took United a while to get going but they have been much the better team in the second half of the first half.

37 min That’s Russo’s eighth league goal of the season. Only Sam Kerr and Vivianne Miedema have scored more.