Everton extended their unbeaten run in the Women’s Super League Merseyside derby into a sixth year with a 2-0 win at Liverpool with goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan playing a key role.

Katja Snoeijs scored after just seven minutes to become the first female Toffees player to score a derby goal at both Goodison Park and Anfield in the same season and the first of any gender since Andrei Kanchelskis did so in 1995-96.

With the home side dominating possession and shot count Brosnan then came to the fore, especially in the second half with a string of saves, before Karen Holmgaard added the second against the run of play in the 69th minute.

Even after the dismissal of her twin Sara for a second bookable offence with nine minutes to go Everton comfortably held out to ensure they have not been beaten in this fixture since 2019.

Liverpool were culpable at both ends of the pitch with Marie-Therese Hobinger’s aimless ball inside seized upon by Snoeijs, who exchanged passes with Kelly Gago before slotting home in front of the Kop.

The hosts dominated all the match statistics apart from the one which mattered as Gemma Bonner glanced a header wide, Taylor Hinds had a shot tipped onto the crossbar by Brosnan and Olivia Smith ballooning their best opportunity high into the arms of the keeper.

Early in the second half Brosnan rushed out to dive at Smith’s feet after Elise Stenevik had been put in trouble by Clare Wheeler’s loose pass inside but the keeper’s afternoon was far from over as she saved from Hobinger and Smith, who drilled an effort straight at her having skipped past a couple of challenges in the penalty area.

Ceri Holland snatched at her shot from a corner and scuffed the ball wide before more poor Liverpool defending allowed Toni Payne cross for Karen Holmgaard to fire home off Bonner.

Liverpool continued to press without much cutting edge as Hobinger failed to properly test Brosnan, who then scrambled to save the Liverpool forward’s looping header down at her right-hand post.

Sara Holmgaard had been chancing her luck since being cautioned late in the first half and was dismissed for another foul on Smith but it barely made her team’s job any more difficult against toothless opposition.