Captain Megan Finnigan’s header secured Everton a derby victory at Anfield as the Toffees claimed their first points of the Women’s Super League season and ended Liverpool’s winning start.

In front of a crowd of 23,088, Finnigan notched what proved the only goal in the 31st minute, connecting with Katrine Veje’s corner.

Liverpool, who in a strong start had seen a Missy Bo Kearns effort ruled out for offside and Ceri Holland shot tipped onto the bar by Courtney Brosnan, were unable to hit back and almost conceded again late on when their bar was struck by Everton substitute Katja Snoeijs.

This was the third WSL Merseyside derby to be played at Anfield, and Everton have won all three. Victory this time sees Brian Sorensen’s side bounce back impressively after suffering defeats in their opening two league games of the season to Brighton and Leicester, against a Liverpool outfit who had beaten Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Everton endured a disrupted start, being forced into into a third-minute change after Lucy Hope got injured, with Clare Wheeler coming on in her place.

Moments later the ball was in the Toffees’ net as Kearns finished from close range, only to see the assistant referee, with VAR not in use, judge the effort should be disallowed for offside.

Everton breathed another sigh of relief in the seventh minute when Holland claimed possession and unleashed a shot that hit the crossbar, via a touch from Brosnan, and bounced down just in front of the line.

After that troubled start, the visitors began to exert some pressure of their own, with Nicoline Sorensen producing a cut-back that Emma Bissell failed to connect with, then seeing a shot blocked.

And from the resulting corner Everton grabbed the lead, Katrine Veje’s delivery being met by the head of skipper Finnigan, who beat Rachael Laws once again as she had done in the Toffees’ 3-0 win here last season.

As Liverpool looked to reply, Emma Koivisto lofted a long-range attempt wide and Brosnan then claimed the ball after a scramble in the Everton box.

Justine Vanhaevermaet headed wide for Everton 10 minutes into the second half and Kearns fired off-target at the other end before being involved in a quadruple substitution by Liverpool boss Matt Beard around the hour mark as Mia Enderby, Melissa Lawley Natasha Flint and Jasmine Matthews were sent on.

Enderby subsequently saw a low shot comfortably gathered by Brosnan before Katja Snoeijs, who had come on early in the second half, came to the fore as she drilled one shot that was well saved by Laws, then curled another that hit the bar.

As Liverpool sought a late leveller, Flint went close in stoppage time, seeing her shot skim the roof of the net as it went over.