Women – Tottenham Hotspur Women – Match Report

Our first pre-season game back at Meadow Park ended in a 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Victoria Pelova opened the scoring early on, before Bethany England equalised for the visitors.

We went ahead again though when Alessia Russo’s cross was turned into the Spurs net by Charli Grant.

England equalised from the penalty spot after the referee spotted a foul from Russo in the second half, and the away side went in front when Matilda Vinberg made it 3-2.

Caitlin Foord pulled us back level before Eveliina Summanen’s free-kick made it 4-3 to Spurs.

FIRST HALF

Looking lively from the off, Mariona Caldentey teed up Pelova, who cushioned the ball onto the underside of the bar, before Russo’s follow-up header also hit the bar on the way over.

Vinberg shot over the bar from long range with Spurs’ first effort moments later.

It was 1-0 to The Arsenal in the seventh minute. After a long ball over the top from Emily Fox, Pelova raced into the 18-yard box and tucked it in at the near post.

Katie McCabe’s in-swinging free-kick was then parried over the bar by Lize Kop, and McCabe’s following corner was smashed over the bar by Kyra Cooney-Cross.

We won the ball and Russo tried her luck from about 35 yards out but it flew wide of the top right, before Lotte Wubben-Moy gave away possession in a dangerous area and Bethany England capitalised, shooting into the roof of the net to equalise.

Mariona’s free-kick was then headed wide by Wubben-Moy. At the other end, Summanen’s corner was headed back across goal by England and nodded over by Drew Spence.

Our PFA Player of the Year Mariona sent a free-kick marginally wide of the top left corner just shy of the half-hour mark, and four minutes later we took the lead again.

Russo turned and crossed and Grant tried to control the ball for Kop, but it trickled into the bottom right corner for 2-1.

Cooney-Cross shot over from long range with half-time approaching and Josefine Rybrink headed over a Spurs corner as we headed into the interval a goal to the good.

SECOND HALf

We made three changes at half-time, summer signings Olivia Smith and Taylor Hinds coming on for McCabe and Wubben-Moy, while Laia Codina was introduced in place of Kelly.

Spurs equalised again in the 58th minute, the referee pointing to the penalty spot following a foul from Russo. England stepped up and slotted into the bottom left corner for 2-2.

Two became three for Spurs when Vinberg burst through on goal and shot into the bottom right corner to put us behind for the first time in the game.

There was another triple change in the 63rd minute, as Jenna Nighswonger, Katie Reid and Foord came on for Mead, Mariona and Russo.

We equalised in the 73rd minute, Steph Catley playing a long ball over the top to Foord, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and made no mistake, picking out the bottom left corner for 3-3.

Renee Slegers then made two further changes, bringing on Kim Little and Sophie Harwood for Pelova and Fox.

Spurs were quickly back in front though, as Summanen’s free-kick was too powerful for Borbe.

Cooney-Cross had another go from distance in the 82nd minute, but again the ball flew over the bar.

Our substitutes combined when Smith crossed for Hinds, but the latter couldn’t direct her effort towards goal in the game’s dying embers.

Six minutes were added on at the end of the second half and Nighswonger almost found a fourth goal in the 95th minute, but her left-footed effort was straight at Kop.

WHAT’S NEXT

We’re back at Meadow Park on Wednesday night for the visit of West Ham United. It’s a 7pm kick-off and tickets are available. After that, we get the Barclays Women’s Super League season under way at Emirates Stadium against London City Lionesses at 1.30pm on Saturday, September 6. Join us in N5!