Lauren James struck the winner in the third minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 to maintain their seven-point lead at the top of the Women’s Super League.

It was a tense and skittish encounter which took until Everton went ahead in the 51st minute to come to life, striker Kelly Gago stunning home supporters at Kingsmeadow when she raced in down the left and found the top corner against the run of play.

Sonia Bompastor’s team, who had barely created a chance worthy of the name until that point, rallied back.

Mayra Ramirez drew them level just past the hour, finishing into the bottom corner as Everton’s disciplined rearguard was finally breached.

It looked as though the champions would canter to victory, but Everton would not lie down easily.

Just as they looked Everton had earned a point, James fired home for Chelsea with a long-range effort which clipped against a post on its way in.

The game took an age to come to life, the only clear chance of the opening 25 minutes came through Johanna Rytting Kanerydm but she was fractionally ahead of James’ cross and turn the ball home from a yard out.

Rytting Kaneryd tried her luck from further out, sending a driven effort which dropped just the wrong side of the post.

It was a speculative effort, but it was the closest either side came to scoring in a first half which saw Chelsea labour without success to pick their way through a stubborn defensive action from Everton.

The visitors stunned the champions with the opening goal six minutes into the second half. Justine Vanhaevermaet won the ball well in midfield as Toni Payne found Gago down the left wing.

Gago then showed composed to lift the ball over Hannah Hampton and into the corner for the opening goal.

Chelsea’s unbeaten record under Bompastor was now under threat, doubly so given the lack of spark in evidence in their attack.

The equaliser arrived just past the hour mark when Sandy Baltimore won possession in midfield and she fed in Rytting Kaneryd. The Swede found the feet of Ramirez, who turned on the ball and darted into a gap before dispatching a finish low into the corner.

Ramirez should have given her side the lead shortly afterwards, curling fractionally wide having found room to shoot from the edge of the box.

Aggie Beever-Jones came off the bench and headed against the crossbar from Baltimore’s cross as Chelsea came within inches of the lead. The striker then rattled a post from a tight angle as the game entered the final five minutes.

Then, with three minutes of stoppage time played, James broke Everton hearts with a dramatic winner.