Kirk questions officials after yellow card controversy

Everton were left "baffled" by the failure of referee Lucy Oliver to send off Brighton's Kayleigh Green despite showing her two yellow cards in the 2-2 draw which cost the Toffees their 100 percent start to the season.

Green was booked for a second time shortly after Aileen Whelan had levelled the scores with 12 minutes to go. Everton head coach Willie Kirk said the failure to reduce Brighton to 10 players cost his side the opportunity to register a fifth-straight Women's Super League victory.

"For a player to be booked twice and still be on the pitch is baffling. I think it's only happened once in my lifetime. It shouldn't happen," Kirk said.

"Nobody wants players to get sent off but that's how the game goes."It would have given us an opportunity to really get at them in the last 10 minutes. It's frustrating the referee made that mistake."

Brighton head coach Hope Powell could understand her opponent's frustrations, even if she failed to fully condemn the referee's actions.

"I said to the fourth official, 'She couldn't have given her a yellow?' He said she had. So the referee has to be in control of that.

"It's hard for me to comment because you will have to ask the referee if she gave a second yellow card as I don't know.  If she did get a second yellow then I am sure, if I was Everton, I wouldn't be pleased about that."