Tottenham Hotspur 0–3 Doncaster Rovers on 4 February 2018

Tottenham Hotspur Ladies saw their hopes of an SSE Women’s FA Cup run fade away in the fourth round after Doncaster Rovers Belles finished as 3-0 winners at Cheshunt FC, but it wasn’t without a hard-fought effort against the FA WSL 2 table-toppers.

Bianca Baptiste had her attempt at a quick-fire goal stifled on the edge of the box by Sophie Bradley inside a minute.

In the second minute, The Belles’ Sophie Walton struck inside the near-post from the inside right to finish off a counter.

Wendy Martin poked through to Baptiste four minutes later, whose top left strike was tipped away by Nikki Davies. Three minutes on and Katie O’Leary’s outside-of-the-boot pass almost found Sarah Wiltshire’s burst into the box, which Rachel Newborough denied.

Jess Sigsworth got her shot away on the right, which Hannah Mackenzie deflected wide on 11 minutes. Kirsty Hanson’s one-on-one saw Toni-Anne Wayne make a stop down low with 15 minutes played.

Emily Simpkins and Sigsworth combined on the right, but the latter struck wayward five minutes on. Three minutes later, Sigsworth hit wide again after Mayumi Pacheco and Hanson recycled on the left.

In the 27th minute, Pacheco played Sigsworth over the top whose attempt for the bottom corner was denied by Wayne’s one-on-one stop.

Josie Green’s splitting pass for Baptiste over the top was cut out by Bradley just past 30 minutes.

Rebecca Rayner slipped Simpkins down the right and with Hanson bursting through unmarked, Lucia Leon recovered to clear on 44 minutes. The visitors doubled their lead a minute later. Sigsworth’s right byline cross was guided in by Simpkins from close.

12 minutes into the second-half, Hanson’s strike from distance was caught by Wayne.

Reaching the hour mark, Wiltshire fed Baptiste through whose shot with clout was blocked by Leandra Little. At the other end, Sigsworth again saw her one-on-one stopped down low by Wayne.

Rea Laudat – making her first team debut – fed Baptiste through on the spin but Pacheco swept clear on 79 minutes.

Sigsworth’s cross across the six-yard box forced Leon to clear with Hanson waiting three minutes later. Spurs were down to ten players following Wayne’s dismissal – when her momentum clashed with Sigsworth outside the box – which saw Leon play the final six minutes plus stoppage in goal.

Simpkins tested Leon with two minutes remaining, who denied the strike to her right. And Donny Belles grabbed a third from distance when Rayner’s strike found the bottom corner.

Spurs Ladies: 1. Toni-Anne Wayne, 2. Lucia Leon, 6. Renee Hector, 12. Hannah Mackenzie, 19. Ryah Vyse, 4. Josie Green (17. Lauren Pickett 90+3), 16. Maya Vio, 14. Katie O’Leary (24. Ronnell Humes 62), 10. Wendy Martin, 8. Bianca Baptiste, 7. Sarah Wiltshire (34. Rea Laudat 72).

Doncaster Rovers Belles: 1. Nikki Davies, 15. Rachel Newborough, 20. Sophie Bradley, 4. Leandra Little, 2. Mayumi Pacheco, 3. Sam Tierney, 8. Sophie Walton, 17. Emily Simpkins (10. Zoe Belding 89) 12. Rebecca Rayner, 7. Kirsty Hanson, 11. Jess Sigsworth (9. Monique Watson 87). Substitutes (unused): 13. Bethan Davies, 14. Izzy Whittle, 6. Chloe Peplow, 16. Emily Smith.