Aston Villa beat Brighton in Carla Ward’s penultimate match as manager

Alisha Lehmann’s second goal in as many games earned Villa victory in West Sussex.

Carla Ward will step down as Aston Villa manager in the summer (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

Aston Villa set aside the shock news of the imminent departure of manager Carla Ward by securing seventh place in the Women’s Super League with a 1-0 win at Brighton.

Alisha Lehmann’s second goal in as many games, which arrived 26 minutes from time at Broadfield Stadium, earned Villa victory in the penultimate match of Ward’s three-year reign.

Kirsty Hanson rattled the crossbar for the visitors in the first half, while Elisabeth Terland and Lee Geum-min went closest for Albion, who will end the campaign with only one home win.

Earlier, Bethany England claimed a second-half equaliser as Tottenham hit back from two down to draw 2-2 at Everton.

Goals inside the first 15 minutes from Sara Holmgaard and Justine Vanhaevermaet put the hosts on course from victory.

But defensive errors proved costly as Drew Spence, back in the Spurs side after injury, halved the deficit in first-half added time and then set up England’s 48th-minute leveller.