Everton celebrate a goalGetty Images
Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist
Crystal Palace missed a chance to move off the bottom of the Women's Super League table as they were beaten at Everton.
The Eagles would have gone above Aston Villa with a victory, but could not take their chances before the hosts crucially took the lead two minutes before the end of the first half.
Sara Holmgaard's left-wing corner was powerfully headed goalwards by Justine Vanhaevermaet with two Palace defenders on the line unable to keep the ball out.
The Belgian midfielder almost scored her second straight after, only to be denied by Shae Yanez's excellent reaction save.
However, Everton only needed 24 seconds of the second half to double their lead.
It came from another header, with Danish defender Holmgaard converting Kelly Gago's cross from the right.
Palace thought they had been given a penalty and a potential way back into the match, only for referee Adewunmi Soneye to change his mind after a discussion with an assistant referee following Vanhaevermaet's challenge on Katie Stengel.
Everton sealed the success to move up to seventh spot with a third goal in the fourth minute of injury time as French forward Gago raced on to a Holmgaard long ball and lifted a calm finish past Yanez.
The loss left Palace on nine points from 17 games, a point behind second-bottom Villa with only five matches left to try to avoid an instant return to the Championship.
More to follow.
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10 Pure perfection
Everton
Crystal Palace
Starting XI
1C. Brosnan
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23S. Holmgaard
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5Martina Fernández
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3M. Mjelde
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19H. Payne
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8J. Vanhaevermaet
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6H. Hayashi
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16H. Ladd
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25K. Snoeijs
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29K. Gago
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9T. Payne
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17L. Hope
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14M. Lawley
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26R. Madsen
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28K. Holmgaard
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21V. Sarri
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Starting XI
30S. Yáñez
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23L. Woodham
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25A. Nouwen
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29A. Swaby
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14J. Green
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27A. Larkin
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17L. Potter
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5M. Cato
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11A. Weerden
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28K. Stengel
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21C. Larisey
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10A. Blanchard
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77I. Atkinson
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9E. Hughes
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20I. Riley
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2K. Veje
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