Scott Phelan pointed to three separate decisions where the officials could have intervened after Everton Women were controversially defeated 1-0 by Arsenal.
Stina Blackstenius scored deep into injury time with the score level, despite Courtney Brosnan clearly being fouled by Leah Williamson, who was in an offside position.
And the battling Blues, who deployed Maz Pacheco further forward on the left and saw Katja Snoeijs make her first start since mid-January, produced a disciplined display that frustrated
their title-chasing hosts, something Phelan felt deserved more than defeat and poor officiating.
“Really disappointed and frustrated for the girls because their level of commitment and application against a high-level team has not been reflected in their rewards at the end,” he said.
“We know that Arsenal can score real high quality goals and that’s ok, to a certain extent, because that will happen against good players. But the goal that we conceded just makes it extra disappointing.
“We’ve watched it back, it is not just necessarily the corner that they scored from, the first corner where it goes out for the second one, there is clearly a foul on Courtney. It comes back in and there is another foul, and the actual header is offside.
“So there is three incidents in two corners where the referee could have intervened.
“And at the danger of sounding like sour grapes, that just adds to the level of disappointment I feel for the girls.
“They deserved more than that.”
Arsenal began on the front foot and Alessia Russo registered their first chance on six minutes, with Beth Mead rattling the crossbar after meeting Emily Fox’s lofted ball ten minutes later.
Everton kept both their composure and shape, with the outstanding Martina Fernandez on hand more than one occassion to clear danger.
The visitors were also keen to show they weren’t there to make up the numbers and the equally impressive Clare Wheeler was inches away from replicating Yuka Momiki’s superb chip against Chelsea when she intercepted Lotte Wubben-Moy’s stray pass and attempted to lob the retreating Anneke Borbe, but her effort landed on top of the goal’s netting.
Mead struck the woodwork again before the break, but Renée Slegers’ side were the more frustrated of the two as the first half ended goalless.
The Gunners began the second 45 quickly, and thought they had taken the lead through Laia Codina, but the defender was judged to be offside thanks to a clever Toffees’ rearguard.
Olivia Smith struck the woodwork again on 53 minutes before Brosnan did well to thwart Russo on the hour mark, which prompted Phelan to freshen things up, with Ornella Vignola and Kelly Gago replacing Snoeijs and Zara Kramzar.
The Blues boss was forced to make another change with four minutes remaining, with Honoka Hayashi making way for Aurora Galli after Everton’s number six went down in the middle of the park.
Substitute Vignola inspired a late Everton surge when her low effort deflected wide after the Spaniard raced on to Gago’s clever through ball.
And From the resulting corner, Hannah Blundell volleyed over from the edge of the box.
But it would be the officials who ensured that they would be the subject of conversation with seconds remaining when Blackstenius finished into an empty net following the offside Williamson’s clear foul on Brosnan.
The Toffees can hold their heads high, however, and finish the season on a high when the welcome the WSL’s bottom side Leicester City to Goodison Park this coming Saturday at 1pm BST (8am ET, 5am PT).
Tickets for the final home game of the WSL can be purchased here.
