Chelsea FC 4–1 Tottenham Hotspur on 6 December 2017

Spurs Ladies may have bowed out of the Continental Tyres Cup Group Stage after a 4-1 defeat at rivals Chelsea on Wednesday night, but can be proud for the manner in which they battled to the final whistle.

With three minutes played, Ramona Bachmann’s cross from the right picked out Drew Spence who volleyed wide of the right post. Fran Kirby drifted to the inside left and rolled to Spence who hit wide two minutes later.

Lucia Leon played Bianca Baptiste away, whose low cross evaded Sarah Wiltshire charging in - marking Spurs’ first sign of fluidity after seven minutes.

Spence slipped through Kirby, whose one-on-one was kept out brilliantly by Toni-Anne Wayne after nine minutes. 11 minutes saw Gemma Davison curl narrowly wide off the left. 15 minutes saw Maren Mjelde’s free-kick go inches wide.

Claire Rafferty – marking her ten years at Chelsea – crossed towards Spence whose looped header was cleared off the line by Renee Hector a minute later.

Erin Cuthbert rattled the post from afar on 18 minutes and Hannah Blundell’s volley found the side-netting on 23 minutes.

Baptiste’s menacing cross to Coral-Jade Haines saw her head off target on 25 minutes.

Chelsea struck first on 26 minutes through Blundell, whose strike with clout was tipped by Wayne, but bounced in.

Kirby collected Rafferty’s defence-splitting pass striking wide from six-yards on the half hour mark.

On 36 minutes, Sophie Mclean turned Kirby’s venomous strike past the post. Five minutes later, Hannah Mackenzie hooked Bachmann’s cross as far as Spence whose dipper evaded the upright.

It was two a minute before the break. Blundell exchanged with Kirby who stroked across into the far corner.

Four minutes after the restart, Bachmann found Mjelde who powered over the bar. Wayne kept out Bachmann’s aim for the top left two minutes later. With 57 gone, Spence cut back to Kirby who placed inside the near-post for three. Kirby picked out Bachmann who found the side-netting from close on 62 minutes.

Lauren Pickett grabbed one back for The Lilywhites on 64 minutes after latching onto Becky Spencer’s loose goal kick and placing home.

Mjedle and Cuthbert both struck the post within the space of a six minute spell. Blundell curled wide on 75 minutes and Spence collected Cuthbert’s zipped pass before slotting in for four three minutes later.

But Wayne and Schillaci kept Spurs’ spirit alive when they kept out Ji So-Yun from close.

Chelsea Ladies: 12. Becky Spencer, 2. Maria Thorisdottir, 3. Hannah Blundell, 4. Millie Bright, 7. Gemma Davison, 11. Claire Rafferty (5. Gilly Flaherty 89), 14. Fran Kirby (10. Ji So-Yun 76), 18. Maren Mjelde, 22. Erin Cuthbert, 23. Ramona Bachmann (19. Crystal Dunn 75), 24. Drew Spence. Substitutes (not used): 28. Carly Telford, 17. Katie Chapman.

Spurs Ladies: 1. Toni-Anne Wayne, 2. Lucia Leon, 6. Renee Hector, 11. Jenna Schillaci, 29. Ashleigh Neville (19. Ryah Vyse 32), 12. Hannah Mackenzie, 5. Sophie Mclean, 16. Maya Vio, 23. Coral-Jade Haines (24. Ronnell Humes 78), 7. Sarah Wiltshire, 8. Bianca Baptiste (17. Lauren Pickett 55). Substitutes (not used): 21. Chloe Morgan