Reading won at Arsenal, Manchester City edged Everton, Birmingham City beat Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-2, while Durham held Liverpool but lost the shoot-out.
Sunday 5th November
FA WSL CONTINENTAL TYRES CUP
GROUP 1 NORTH
Durham 0-0 Liverpool (Att: 351) – (Liverpool won shoot-out 5-4)
Aston Villa 2-2 Sheffield FC (Att: 140) – (Villa won shoot-out 11-10)
GROUP 1 SOUTH
Arsenal 1-2 Reading (Att: 380)
London Bees 3-4 Millwall Lionesses (Att: 243)
GROUP 2 NORTH
Birmingham City 3-2 Doncaster Rovers Belles (Att: 682)
Manchester City 2-1 Everton (Att: 875)
GROUP 2 SOUTH
Tottenham Hotspur 1-4 Brighton & Hove Albion (Att: 215)
Williams brace beats Gunners
Two goals from Fara Williams early in the second half saw Reading come away for Arsenal as 2-1 winners.
The tie was goalless after a tight first half, in which Vivianne Miedama might have opened the scoring when through on goal but her shot was saved well by Royals’ keeper Grace Moloney.
A decisive few minutes began early in the second half, as Williams poked the ball through the legs of Anna Moorhouse from close range.
Substitute Beth Mead made an almost immediate impact, slotting home the equaliser 3 minutes later.
However, Williams got her second goal of the game with an audacious effort from the restart.
Moloney did well to thwart Danielle Carter from close range, as the Royals went level on points with their hosts and group leaders.
Parris pops up with decisive reply
Man City made it two wins from as many games but needed a late winner from Nikita Parris against her former side.
Parris had a goal ruled out for offside before Man City did go ahead on 25 minutes, Steph Houghton’s long ball over the top headed home by Issy Christiansen.
Jill Scott struck the Everton bar from 20 yards early in the second half and later Jen Beattie saw her header clawed away from the top corner by Kirstie Levell.
Simone Magill headed Everton’s equaliser with 13 minutes to go, connecting with Chloe Kelly’s free-kick to beat Karen Bardsley.
Levell made a point-blank save from Scott’s header immediately afterwards but it was only a very temporary reprieve, as a minute later Parris headed home the winner.
Birmingham comeback to beat Belles
Birmingham City won 3-2 over Doncaster Rovers Belles at St Andrews to make it two victories from three games.
Two Paige Williams’ set-pieces nearly had City ahead but Jules Draycott tipped over her free-kick and then Emily Westwood’s downward header from a corner was blocked on the line by Rachel Newborough.
But it was the Belles who scored first on 36 minutes, as Christie Murray netted with a thumping close-range volley.
The Blues levelled in first-half stoppage-time, when Charlie Wellings cut the ball back for Freda Ayisi to stab home.
Wellings then netted herself from Andrine Hegerberg’s pass and Rachel Williams made it 3-1 when turning in Hayley Ladd’s corner.
Kirsty Hanson’s half volley from the edge of the box put Doncaster back in the game and they might have earned a draw but Murray saw her last-minute effort saved by Hannah Hampton.
Reds double up on pens
Durham held top flight Liverpool to a goalless draw but the Reds bagged an extra point by winning the penalty shootout 5-4.
Alex Greenwood saw her cross clip the Wildcats’ bar on its way out before Kathryn Hill stepped in to stop Caroline Weir’s shot and the rebound fell to Beth England who blazed over the home goal.
A Greenwood free-kick was tipped round the upright by Helen Alderson, who also denied Niamh Charles with her legs.
Liverpool brought on Jess Clarke late in the game but she was taken off with an injury just 4 minutes later.
With the match finishing goalless, it was on to a penalty shoot-out for the chance of a bonus point and Caroline Weir sealed it for the visitors in sudden-death, thereby putting them ahead of Sunderland on goal-difference at the top of the group.
Hutton penalty earns Villa bonus point
The other Group 1 North game also went to sudden-death penalties, the epic shoot-out seeing Aston Villa win 11-10 with a Jodie Hutton effort, to bank an extra point after a 2-2 tie.
Sheffield FC took the lead on 16 minutes, when Holly Housley’s long ball was lost in the sun by goalkeeper Chloe Beattie and the ball dropped in the back of the net.
Villa equalised 6 minutes before the break, Ebony Salmon with the delivery for Kerri Welsh to turn in off the post.
After a long delay for an injury to Welsh, Hutton came off the bench and drilled a shot against the bar and.
Salmon turned in a cross by Hayley Crackle in the last 10 minutes but Mel Johnson made it 2-2 4 minutes into added time.
Villa brought on Sian Rogers as a change of keeper ahead of penalties and they eventually got their first two points.
Lionesses fightback to defeat Bees
Millwall overcame a two-goal deficit to win 4-3 at The Hive and register their first points.
The Bees stung the Lionesses with two goals in the first 14 minutes, as Destiney Toussaint ‘s cross evaded Grace Taylor and Jo Wilson followed up a long-range effort with a tap in.
Rianna Dean had earlier been denied by a post but successfully found the net 5 minutes short of the interval.
Both sides then hit the bar before the break, Leigh Nicol for Millwall, followed moments later by Toussaint.
Six minutes after the restart and Ashlee Hincks struck to bring Millwall back on level terms.
Ellie Mason had Millwall in frotn for the first time and then Hincks converted the spot-kick after Dean was fouled.
London Bees were also awarded a penalty with 6 minutes left and although Paula Howells hit the bar, Toussaint tapped in the rebound to set up a tense finish.
Umotong double confirms Seagulls’ success
Brighton came away from Tottenham 4-1 winners aided by a late Ini Umotong brace, as they leapfroggedd their hosts into second place.
Spurs took a 15th-minute lead as Renée Hector’s ball over the top was touched on by Sarah Wiltshire for Bianca Baptiste to finish.
Albion were level 3 minutes later, with Lucy Somes scoring from close ranger after Toni-Anne Wayne parroed a Sophie Perry chip.
Hector had to clear off the line to deny Aileen Whelan but from Perry’s 31st-minute set-piece, Fern Whelan scrambled the Seagulls ahead.
Umotong came off the bench to get on the end of Dani Buet’s free-kick on 85 minutes and then doubled her tally in added time.
