Manchester City Women

Manchester City beat Tottenham 3-0 at Brisbane Road on Saturday lunchtime to get their second win in a row in the WSL.  Khadija Shaw gave City the lead just before half time, and the Jamaican international added her and the visitors second shortly after the break. Lauren Hemp scored the third in the second half to round off what was a comfortable win for The Citizens. 

Lauren Hemp had the first chance of the game but her header was saved by Rebecca Spencer.

At the other end, Ellie Brazil almost dispossessed Ellie Roebuck on edge of area.  The Tottenham forward went down with a nasty looking injury and there was a long delay whilst she was treated and stretchered off.  We wish Ellie a speedy recovery. 

Shaw had a shot blocked before Esme Morgan headed just wide from a Chloe Kelly free kick in the 18th minute as City went close to going ahead.  Hemp put a dinked effort narrowly wide of the post in the 25th minute as the away side continued to put on the pressure.  Spencer pushed away a long range effort from Deyna Castellanos, and Laura Coombs sent an effort well over after scramble from corner.

The home sides first chance came when a deep free kick found Amy Turner but her shot was straight at the goalkeeper.  The offside flag was up in any case.

Yui Hasegawa saw her effort deflected wide before the visitors opened the scoring in the 41st minute.  Alex Greenwood put in a corner which Shaw headed in past Spencer.

Ash Neville, making her 50th WSL appearance for Spurs, put an effort over at far post from a cross just before the interval.

Shaw made it 2-0 in the 47th minute when her low strike from 25 yards found the bottom corner of the net.  The goals in this match means she is now top goalscorer in the WSL this season with 5 goals and has scored 14 goals in 13 starts for City since signing last summer.

Kerstin Caspasij’s cross was cleared by Molly Bartrip before it reached Shaw in the 61th minute.  Kelly’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected over four minutes later as The Citizens went looking for a third.  Shaw put an effort wide from six-yards in the 69th minute as she went looking for hat-trick.

Spurs did have three opportunities within three minutes with Neville unable to get onto a low cross in the 70th minute, Turner shot well over, and Spence’s shot from 20 yards drifted over as the home side looked to get back into the game.

Kelly saw her low shot from 12 yards saved easily by Spencer in the 76th minute.

Seconds later, Manchester City did score a third when Hemp twisted and turned past a Tottenham defender on the edge of the area then sent a low shot into the net.

In the 80th minute, Shaw had a shot from 12 yards saved, and then Hemp sent an effort over.

Both sides made a number of substitutes in the last 10 minutes which disrupted the flow of the game.  City did have a couple of chances in stoppage tine to score a fourth but Kelly shot just wide after getting onto a lovely through ball, and the same player then shot at the goalkeeper. 

The win lifts Gareth Taylor side up to fifth position in the league (before Sunday’s matches) whilst Tottenham drop a position to eighth.  Spurs next match is next Sunday when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion in the WSL. Manchester City next two games are at home, against Blackburn Rovers in the Conti Cup on Wednesday evening then Liverpool in the WSL next weekend.

Line ups

Tottenham Hotspur (4-5-1): Spencer, Turner, Bartrip, Zadorsky (c), Ale, James, Summanen, Spence, Neville (Ubogagu 87’), Bizet (Karczewska 86’), Brazil (Naz 8’)

Unused substitutes: Korpela, Pearse, Cho

Booked – Neville 45’+5

Manchester City (4-3-3): Roebuck, Casparij (Ouahabi 86’), Aleixandri, Greenwood (c), Morgan, Hasegawa, Castellanos (Angeldahl 81’), Coombs (Losada 81’), Kelly, Shaw (Fowler 81’), Hemp (Blakstad 87’)

Unused substitutes: MacIver, Stokes, Houghton, Raso

Goals – Shaw 41, 47, Hemp 76’

Booked – Kelly 56’

Referee – Emily Heaslip

Attendance – 1,888