WSL round-up: Fran Kirby strike gives Brighton & Hove Albion win at Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace defeat Aston Villa

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England international Fran Kirby struck late in the first half to give Brighton & Hove Albion three points on Sunday afternoon, with the win lifting them into fifth place. Earlier in the day, relegation contenders Crystal Palace and Aston Villa played in London, as Palace gave themselves hope of staying up in the WSL with a victory against the Midlanders.

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Brighton & Hove Albion ended a seven-match streak without a WSL win at Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, and Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa.

The away side grabbed all three points when Fran Kirby scored just before the end of the first half, steering her effort low into the corner, and they may consider themselves unfortunate not to have scored more.

Marisa Olislagers went close earlier in the first half when Spurs keeper Lize Kop prevented her from scoring straight from a corner, and Kop again had to beat away another effort from Olislagers.

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Olislagers was at the heart of the breakthrough when her shot struck Ella Morris. The ball was picked up by Rachel McLauchlan, who teed up Kirby to strike from close range.

Tottenham were without Bethany England, their top scorer this season, and they were unable to put much pressure on the visitors.

The win takes Brighton to fifth place, a point ahead of Liverpool. Tottenham sit seventh, eight points clear of Palace.

The bottom-of-the-table clash between Villa and Palace saw the Londoners emerge victorious.

Palace went ahead on 33 minutes through Aniek Nouwen when the defender, making her debut on loan from Chelsea, met a flick-on from Allyson Swaby to head past goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo.

Palace’s lead doubled through Ashleigh Weerden eight minutes into the second half, when the winger shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Villa continued to push and hit the woodwork through Jordan Nobbs, on as a substitute, who also went close with a later free-kick, and the pressure eventually told when defender Lucy Parker grabbed a late goal.

The home side then re-established their two-goal advantage five minutes into stoppage time after an error from D’Angelo, with the goalkeeper losing possession out of her area to Katie Stengel.

The win for the bottom-placed side, just Palace's second of the season, moved them one point behind Villa as the relegation battle intensified.

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