Brighton 2-2 Manchester United: Williams snatches point for Red Devils

Substitute Rachel Williams scored a last-gasp equaliser for Manchester United in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Brighton in the Women’s Super League clash at Broadfield Stadium.

Seagulls ace Elisabeth Terland coolly slotted past England goalkeeper Mary Earps on the half-hour for her fifth goal in five WSL games.

But Ella Toone’s strike in the 78th minute set up a frantic finale before Guro Bergsvand’s header at the end of normal time looked to have secured the Seagulls a famous victory.

However, n the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time, Williams headed in at the back post to extend United’s unbeaten run in the WSL to 12 matches.

After the game was delayed by 10 minutes because the on-site ambulance had not arrived, Marc Skinner’s side started like a house on fire.

Jorelyn Carabali almost put the ball into her own net following a dangerous cross into the six-yard box and then former United goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley pulled off an acrobatic save to deny Melvine Malard from 12 yards in the opening three minutes.

The hosts regained their composure and were inches away from taking the lead when Pauline Bremer’s cross-shot cannoned off the crossbar from a tight angle.

Brighton then hit the front in style when Terland superbly controlled Maisie Symonds’ drilled pass into the box and the 22-year-old tucked away her effort with aplomb.

United then missed two gilt-edged chances, firstly when Geyse’s shot came back off a post and Leah Galton somehow headed over from four yards following Jayde Riviere’s pinpoint cross.

Baggaley was once again called into action just before half-time when she pushed a curling effort onto the bar and then showed cat-like reflexes to smother Millie Turner’s follow-up from close range.

Brighton were keeping United at arm’s length after the interval and had the ball in the net just before the hour through Terland, but the Norway international was offside.

The away side seemed to be growing increasingly desperate as the game wore on, with Geyse firing an ambitious acrobatic effort out of the stadium.

Then, out of nowhere, Lionesses star Toone, who has struggled for form since this summer’s World Cup, unleashed a piledriver into the top corner from 25 yards to stun the home crowd.

Far from wilting, Brighton roared back through Bremer, whose far-post header was kept out by Earps, and then Julia Zigiotti’s looping volley bounced off the crossbar.

Earps, who came fifth in the Ballon d’Or, did brilliantly to tip substitute Veatriki Sarri’s effort onto the bar but a minute from time, Bergsvand, who replaced Vicky Losada as skipper, buried a close-range header.

With the home crowd screaming at referee Jane Simms to blow the full-time whistle, Williams popped up with an equaliser at the death.

The result saw the Red Devils stay sixth in the table with nine points, four behind leaders Chelsea, while the Sussex side rose to ninth to end a three-match losing streak.