Tottenham Hotspur hosted Liverpool today for a Barclays Women’s Super League classic, which saw the Merseyside outfit secure the first win of their campaign.
Robert Vilahamn’s North London side was much-changed following their midweek Women’s League Cup victory over Charlton Athletic, with only the afternoon’s captain Molly Bartrip, summer signing Maite Oroz, and mainstay Ashleigh Neville retaining their spots in the starting eleven.
Cornelia Kapocs made her first Barclays Women’s Super League start for Matt Beard’s Reds, with the manager also making several changes after his side lost 2-0 to Manchester United in their first Women’s League Cup fixture of the season.
The Lineups
TOT: Spencer; Bartrip, Nildén, Naz, Raso, Oroz, Hunt, Thomas, Spence, Summanen, Neville
LIV: Laws; Parry, Matthews, Kapocs, Nagano, Haug, Smith, Hinds, Höbinger, Lundgaard, Bonner
The Action
Proceedings got underway on Tottenham’s home turf, and it was Liverpool’s Olivia Smith who provided the first shot of the game. Her effort was wide of Becky Spencer’s goalposts, as both teams looked to be on the attack in the early stages of the clash.
The Spurs fans were in strong voice, but it was the Reds who opened the scoring in sublime style just 10 minutes on from the first touch. A slack pass from Spencer as she tried to find Neville down the left-hand side was picked up by Kapocs, who took just one touch before sending a simply stunning strike into the back of the net from well outside of the box.
Vilahamn’s side were eager to respond, but Beard’s backline looked robust and ready to deny Lilywhite opportunities. Smith, a recent addition to the Liverpool squad, was soon within touching distance of a goal. The lively Canadian’s close-range finish, however, landed on the wrong side of the far post. Disarray in the box ensued, and Spurs looked to be in trouble, but the gloves of Spencer gave the home side a chance to settle.
Beard was forced to make an early change after Sofie Lundgaard went down with a nasty looking knee injury and had to be replaced by Gemma Evans. After a short break in play, the frustration continued for the Spurs. Despite their recent good form, the home side were experiencing difficulties working around a forward-thinking Liverpool.
When half-time swiftly arrived, it was only the superb goal from Kapocs which separated the two battling sides. Tottenham kept the margin small during a disjointed first half, searching to get on the scoresheet themselves, but Liverpool had earned their one-goal lead.
The second half was off to a shaky start for the Spurs, as Liverpool pushed for a second. However, disaster struck for the Reds in the 54th minute. A strong cross into the box from Jessica Naz on the right took a deflection off of Liverpool captain Taylor Hinds, and flew beyond Rachael Laws to give Vilahamn’s side the equaliser.
The hosts made the most of their newfound momentum, and as the hour mark approached, a Martha Thomas strike required the intervention of Laws between the sticks.
Despite a spell grafting in their defensive half, some brilliant buildup play from the Reds led to what was almost a screamer for Smith. The forward rapidly put herself in the right position to receive the through ball, but her otherwise brilliant finish was narrowly off target.
Smith was later brought down not far outside of the box, as Tottenham gifted a free kick to their visitors. Taken by Marie Höbinger after Smith took her leave from the field, the sumptuous 75th minute strike went over the wall well beyond the reach of Spencer to restore the away side’s advantage.
The comeback was on for the Spurs as the final ten minutes ticked by. A heavy presence upfront for the hosts was challenging Laws and her defenders, but another agonising own goal for Liverpool was what levelled the scoreline once again. Australian centreback Clare Hunt’s ball into the box took a hefty deflection off of Gemma Bonner, and ended up in the back of the net.
Regardless of a late flurry of chances for Vilahamn’s side, and the ever-present danger of the Liverpool midfield, things stayed even until a penalty was controversially awarded to the Reds at the death. Höbinger slotted her spot kick calmly into the bottom left corner of goal, to give Beard’s side their first win of the season.
Ultimately, Liverpool took the three points from the occasion. Both clubs now turn their attention to a challenging next round of matches, with Tottenham travelling to Manchester United, and Liverpool hosting Manchester City next Sunday.
