Wendy Martin’s spectacular curler six minutes deep into injury time ensured a dramatic 2-1 comeback against Cardiff City at Theobalds Lane - setting up a potential FA Women’s Premier League title sealer with West Ham United at White Hart Lane, Wednesday evening.
Josie Green set the pace early on prodding a splitting pass through to Sophie Mclean bursting forward, who found Laura O’Sullivan quick off her line to gather. The visitors nevertheless found the breakthrough. Cori Williams broke to the edge of the area powering inside the near-post within six minutes.
Lucia Leon shimmied forward, Gemma Evans half-cleared her cross for Mclean to latch on striking from distance, only for O’Sullivan to collect down low. Kelley Blanchflower broke to the byline playing across to Mclean, who lined-up the shot, but Maisie Jerrim hooked the danger clear.
Blanchflower manoeuvred to the left, cut inside floating deep to Bianca Baptiste who crashed her piledriver off the post. Leon played into Martin, whose strike on the turn deflected off Ellis Hillman hitting the top of the crossbar.
Hannah Miles exchanged with Laura Williams who cut in off the right, before swerving her strike into the side-netting. Baptiste crossed towards Blanchflower just inside the area, who laid-off to Riana Soobadoo to strike with clout, headed away by Gemma Evans.
Baptiste’s corner was headed up by Martin, Jenna Schillaci followed-up with a header of her own which was guided against the post. Laura Williams took aim from near 25 yards which zipped off the surface into the arms of Toni-Anne Wayne.
Williams collected setting upwards for Chloe Chivers, whose dipper from afar dropped kindly for Wayne. Green majestically kept possession floating out to Leon, she played across to Mclean 12-yards out who found Jerrim remaining stern at the back.
The Bluebirds came out second half flying. Williams broke on a counter, cutting inside slipping Chivers through, who just couldn’t catch the shot as Wayne collected the bobble.
Green hit a mesmerising dipper from the inside right off the top of the crossbar with O’Sullivan beat. The defining moment arrived on the hour mark. Chloe Lloyd dinked through to Chivers for a one-on-one who looked to guide over Wayne, but the exceptional stopper stayed big to tip the ball somehow against the frame of the woodwork.
Leon, Soobadoo and Martin combined down the right, the latter played across to Blanchflower who rolled out to Leah Rawle, but her curler dipped inches wide.
Baptiste’s pinged cross found Martin to guide towards Soobadoo, who set and volleyed on the bounce which O’Sullivan collected. Maya Vio collected slipping the overlapping Leon through, whose cross gave Nikita Whinnett the chance to equalise, only for Lloyd to deflect wide.
The equaliser came with precision in the 84th minute. Baptiste crossed to Leon, who set-up Whinnett to stroke home inside the near-post with exhilarating technique. Wayne on the half-volley cleared to Martin who flicked towards Whinnett, but she couldn’t generate enough power on the dipper.
The moment which had every player in tears arrived with the last kick of the game. Martin collected Baptiste’s cross on the opposite flank, prior to placing across into the far corner and out of the reach of O’Sullivan.
Spurs Ladies: 1. Toni-Anne Wayne, 2. Lucia Leon, 11. Jenna Schillaci, 19. Renee Hector, 3. Leah Rawle, 7. Josie Green, 5. Sophie Mclean, 12. Riana Soobadoo (9. Nikita Whinnett 70’’), 20. Kelley Blanchflower (16. Maya Vio 79’’), 10. Wendy Martin, 8. Bianca Baptiste. Substitutes (not used): 13. Megen Lynch, 18. Eartha Pond.
