Andy Spence was proud of the efforts of his players after Everton Ladies pushed joint league-leaders Manchester City all the way on Saturday night.
An absorbing contest saw the pendulum swing backwards and forwards, with Claudia Walker putting the Blue Girls ahead after just five minutes before City struck three times to lead 3-1 at the break.
But a resolute Everton refused to lie down and a Simone Magill strike on 66 minutes gave them fresh momentum. But City held on to claim victory.
Spence, however, hailed the performance of his side and was delighted to see his side go toe-to-toe with one of the favourites for the WSL 1 title.