Brighton 3-2 Everton: Seagulls pull clear of drop zone

Brighton held on for a precious victory over Everton to boost their Women's Super League survival hopes. 

The Seagulls went into the clash rock bottom but now sit two points clear of the drop zone with a game in hand on relegation rivals Reading and Leicester, who they leapfrogged to climb to 10th. 

And they can now begin to look up rather than down with ninth-placed Tottenham only above them on goal difference having played a match more. 

Melissa Phillips saw her side take a 12th-minute lead through Elisabeth Terland and Katie Robinson doubled the advantage just before half-time. 

But the Toffees cut the arrears through Katja Snoeijs after 63 minutes to leave the home fans at Broadfield Stadium biting their nails. 

Terland, 21, netted her second of the evening 10 minutes from time to give Brighton some breathing space. 

But the two-goal cushion lasted just three minutes as Dutch star Snoeijs struck once again.

With nerves jangling, Brighton dug deep to see out nine minutes of stoppage time without incident and pick up a much-needed three points.