Willie Kirk was left frustrated his Everton Ladies side were left empty-handed at Bristol City after creating numerous chances during their 1-0 WSL defeat on Sunday.

The Blue Girls could not follow up their gutsy 1-0 victory at West Ham earlier this month despite dominating for spells and carving out a host of opportunities.

Bristol scored with their first shot at goal, a long-distance 33^rd-minute strike by Lucy Graham. Everton goalkeeper Kirstie Levell had only one save to make after that, diving to keep out Julie Biesmans’ 88^th-minute free-kick.

At the other end, Simone Magill and Gabby George went close ahead of Graham’s goal, then after the interval Inessa Kaagman had a goalbound effort blocked before substitutes Elise Hughes and Hannah Cain both hit the woodwork in quick succession 15 minutes from time.

“First and foremost the performance could have been better, that’s the frustrating thing for all of us,” said Kirk. “But we definitely created enough chances to take something out of the game – we just weren’t clinical enough.

“I thought we should have scored before they got their goal, and that incident towards the end when we hit the woodwork twice – and their goalkeeper made a pointblank save in the same goalmouth scramble – just about summed up our afternoon.”

Next up for the Blue Girls is a home game against bottom club Yeovil Town on Sunday at Southport’s Merseyrail Community Stadium (2pm kick-off). Victory would take Kirk’s team eight points clear of Yeovil and virtually assured of staying in the top flight.

But the manager said: “We’re looking up, not over our shoulders. Beating Yeovil would put us just a point behind Brighton, and we can push on from there.”