Spurs Ladies are top of the FA Women's Premier League.
They took advantage of Cardiff City's inactivity to take sole leadership of the FAWPL Southern Division with another convincing performance and victory, this time 4-0 at Swindon Town on Sunday.
The win sees Spurs with eight wins and a draw in nine games, top by two points from rivals Charlton and three ahead of Cardiff. Coventry United, the other team in what looks like a four-way fight for the title, are six points adrift with a game in hand.
Karen Hills' team have won 15 of 16 games in all competitions so far this season with the Women's FA Cup next on the horizon and a first round tie against Leyton Orient at Cheshunt FC on Sunday (1pm).
Tottenham Hotspur Ladies returned to league action with a disciplined performance which saw them take the spoils against a tough Swindon Town side on Sunday.
The Lilywhites started off the brightest. Nikita Whinnett and Bianca Baptiste recycled possession on the edge of the box prior to the latter flicking the ball towards Wendy Martin, but her side-footed attempt was saved down low by Robyn Levett.
Eartha Pond’s near-post corner was headed towards goal by Jenna Schillaci, though it was the underside of the crossbar that was Swindon’s saving grace to the relief of the home supporters. Leah Rawle burst away on a counter out on the left flank and her one-two with Martin forced Serena Smith into a vital challenge inside the area.
Rawle was involved again drifting into the middle, her shot deflected into the path of Martin who narrowly placed the ball inches past Levett’s right-hand post. Maya Vio, Sophie McLean and Riana Soobadoo continued dominating the middle giving Whinnett licence to roam forward, but as she pounced onto a loose ball inside the box, her poked effort zipped wide of the post.
Baptiste looped a pass out wide to Lucia Leon whose accurate cross looking for Martin was just headed away by Ali Witts from six-yards out. Spurs came within inches of taking the lead just before the break, Pond’s low driven free-kick deflected into the path of Schillaci whose guided attempt flew wide with Levett left flat-footed.
Mich Rich connected with Alice Smith’s pass over the top to have a one-on-one with Megen Lynch, who wasn’t to be beaten tipping away her strike from close. In a seven minute spell of quick-fire goals, Karen Hills’ side blew the hosts away.
Soobadoo’s splitting pass found Baptiste who opened up her body for the shot before drilling home into the far corner of the net after 56 minutes. Renée Hector replaced Rawle, and within a minute found her third goal in the same amount of games. Pond’s delivery found Whinnett whose flicked pass towards the centre-back saw her strike across Levett into the bottom corner on the hour. Three minutes later, a third arrived through Whinnett who lobbed Levett for an astonishing finish from outside the area.
Georgia Walters’ 18-yard swerving strike was clawed out of the top corner by Lynch. She then set Spurs on the attack for Whinnett to find Leon, whose low drive rolled across the face of goal. On 74 minutes, Pond’s free-kick was headed down by Hector into the path of Kelley Blanchflower, who poked the ball with clout inside the near-post for the fourth.
Cheryl Williams’ cross from the inside right channel was guided towards the near-post only for Levett to hurry across to deny her a second. At the other end, Lynch from point-blank range spectacularly kept out Sammy Hallsworth’s poked effort to ensure her second consecutive clean sheet.
Spurs Ladies: Megen Lynch, Lucia Leon, Jenna Schillaci, Eartha Pond, Leah Rawle (Renée Hector 59), Maya Vio, Sophie McLean, Riana Soobadoo, Bianca Baptiste (Cheryl Williams 74), Wendy Martin (Kelley Blanchflower 66), Nikita Whinnett.
