Tottenham Hotspur Ladies made it two wins from two in the FA Women’s Continental League Cup as they breezed past Coventry United Women this afternoon with a 5-1 demolition of the Midlanders at Brisbane Road.
As head-coach Rehanne Skinner had indicated she would do in the build-up to today’s match, some lesser-seen faces were brought in to the starting XI. Skinner made four changes from the side that was comfortably beaten at Stamford Bridge last week, with Kerys Harrop continuing her return from injury to come in alongside Rosella Ayane, Chioma Ubogagu, and first-time starter Gracie Pearse for Asmita Ale, Shelina Zadorsky, Celin Bizet and star player and captain Ashleigh Neville.
As has so often been the case over the past few months against inferior sides, Spurs recognised their opponents’ weakness and asserted their dominance early on when Eveliina Summanen headed in from Angharad James’ corner with 6 minutes on the clock.
Spurs did not have long to wait to double their lead, with the second goal arriving following good work on the left from Ubogagu to feed Ayane, who duly struck in at the near post on 14 minutes.
Harrop then ensured that Spurs would enter the interval with a three-goal cushion with another goal from a corner when earlier goalscorer Summanen’s delivery was volleyed neatly in on 25 minutes.
Although the goals did not flow early on in the second half, several substitutions were made and both sides exchanged chances, with Coventry United sensing that they had nothing to lose. However, they were wrong to assume this, as the hosts scored again on 60 minutes when Amy Turner grabbed her first goal in Lilywhite with a header to eliminate any semblance of doubt regarding the final outcome (if there was any in the first place).
The lively Jess Naz entered the fray and had a few neat efforts here and there but to no avail, and with the game petering out, the Brisbane Road crowd was treated to a rousing finish from both sides. Firstly, Francesca Orthodoxou struck a wonderful long-range effort to pull one back for the visitors to blight the hosts’ defensive copybook.
Nevertheless, Skinner’s Spurs would have the last laugh when substitute Gunning-Williams headed in her first senior goal for Spurs to ensure that the final scoreline reflected Spurs’ dominance further.
I haven’t yet developed a sense for the Spurs women’s team. So where is a thread for un-evolved gits like me? Don’t kill off this dying site quite yet, please.