Match report: United Women 3 Tottenham 0

Elisabeth Terland’s first two United goals in the closing stages of the first half ultimately made the difference, the Norwegian striker showcasing excellent penalty area instincts to put us into a lead that Spurs couldn’t close.

Maya Le Tissier added the third from the penalty spot just shy of the hour mark, while the Reds are still yet to concede this season after a fourth consecutive game without conceding across all competitions.

Both team wore black armbands in tribute to Lord Herman Ouseley, a trailblazer in anti-discrimination in football and founder of Kick It Out, following his passing at the age of 79.

FIRST HALF

The first clear chance of the contest was made against the early run of play by the visitors, with Martha Thomas cutting inside from the left side of the box, only to see her effort well charged down by Phallon Tullis-Joyce. A few minutes later, our No.91 stretched to tip a speculative Drew Spence shot from distance over the bar.

In the opposite goal, Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer showed similar reflexes to deny Grace Clinton’s fierce strike, arriving in the box from the right.

Tullis-Joyce was applauded to her feet by the fans on all four sides of Leigh Sports Village after receiving some treatment following a collision as she commanded her box by punching a dangerous corner to safety. The pause knocked some momentum out of the game, although a flurry of United attacks towards the end of the half, the team spurred on by the crowd, saw the Reds end the half firmly on top when Terland scored twice in the closing minutes before the break.

The first was a fine volley after Celin Bizet, bursting forward from right-back, had been played into acres of space and put in a pinpoint cross that was hooked towards goal and struck the underside of the bar on its journey into the back of the net. Bizet was again the architect for the quickfire second as United made the momentum pay, with Terland meeting a deep cross with her head a few yards from goal and giving Spencer no chance of keeping it out.

SECOND HALF

Terland very nearly had a hat-trick five minutes into the second period, put through on goal by Clinton but seeing the resultant first-time effort turned agonisingly onto the post by Spencer.

But United fans didn’t have to wait too much longer for the third goal, scored by the skipper. It was Ella Toone’s cross from the left that struck the arm of Tottenham defender Ashleigh Neville in the box, prompting referee Lisa Benn to point to the penalty spot. Le Tissier made no mistake from 12 yards, confidently sending Spencer the wrong way.

The game remained open as Spurs admirably looked for a way back into it and both teams continued to attack, with a chance coming for Toone which came about through Clinton winning possession and sliding in her team-mate. But the shot didn’t challenge Spencer’s goal.

Marc Skinner opted to freshen things up for the final 15 minutes with a triple substitution as Rachel Williams, Hinata Miyzawa and Simi Awujo looked to give the visitors a new set of problems. As Terland came off, the Leigh crowd showed its appreciation for her enormous contributions.

Williams brought fresh energy from the bench and forced Spencer into a good save as United pushed for a fourth. The crowd appealed loudly for a penalty when Clinton tangled with Molly Bartrip in the box when both trying to reach a ball that the United midfielder had knocked over her opponent, while our No.8 also looked to lob Spencer from distance that the back-pedalling goalkeeper just managed to prevent from crossing the line.

The dedicated group of travelling Tottenham fans were almost out of their seats in stoppage time when Spence fired low and hard at goal. But, like she had been in the first half, Tullis-Joyce was equal to it as she dived to her left to grasp the ball and preserve United’s latest clean sheet.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Tullis-Joyce; Bizet (Mannion 89), Le Tissier (c), Turner, George; Naalsund (Awujo 76), Janssen; Clinton, Toone (Miyazawa 76), Galton; Terland (Williams 76).

Unused substitutes: Middleton-Patel, Newell, Simpson, Ladd, Watson.

Goals: Terland 44, 45+4, Le Tissier 59.

Booked: Toone 64.

Tottenham: Spencer; Neville, Bartrip, Hunt, Grant; Summanen (Vinberg 56), Ahtinen; Naz (Gunning-Williams 89), Spence, Thomas (Csiki 78); England (c).

Unused substitutes: Talbert, Heeps, Buhler, Dennis.