Birthday girl Lucy Quinn stepped off the bench to score a crucial second goal as Spurs Women beat West Ham 2-0 in front of nearly 25,000 fans at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Quinn drilled in to give us breathing space after the hosts had squandered a number of second-half opportunities to get back into the game, with centre-back Hannah Godfrey putting in a Player of the Match display to keep the Hammers at bay.
Striker Rianna Dean earlier scored a superb header on what was her first start of the season, setting us on our way to our first-ever away victory in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.
Head Coaches Karen Hills and Juan Amoros made three changes from last week's Continental League Cup clash with Reading as Anna Filbey, Rachel Furness and Dean were named in the starting line-up for the historic London derby - the first time West Ham Women have ever played at the London Stadium.
The first half was quiet in terms of clear goalscoring opportunities, with our first half-chance coming after 30 minutes when Rosella Ayane fizzed a ball across the face of the goal and Dean was just inches away from touching it in from close range. The same two players combined for the opening goal four minutes later, though, when Ayane delivered a superb ball into the box from the left to find Dean who did brilliantly to get between two defenders and power a header into the bottom left corner.
Within four minutes of the break, the hosts could have equalised through Martha Thomas but defender Godfrey made a great block to prevent a leveller and immediately at the other end of the pitch, Courtney Brosnan made a goal-line stop to prevent Ayane from doubling our lead. Backed by their home fans, West Ham really started to push but saw a handful of golden opportunities slip away. Adriana Leon sent a back-post header over the bar from six yards, Kenza Dali dragged a yard wide from distance and Thomas met Cecilie Redisch Kvamme's cross with the goal at her mercy, but contrived to steer her effort behind. Among those chances, Godfrey headed just wide for us before again thwarting West Ham by hurling herself in the way of Dali's effort in the box, sending the ball spinning behind for a corner.
Then came the killer second goal, which ended the hosts' challenge seven minutes from time. A free-kick wasn't properly dealt with and Quinn latched onto the loose ball in the box, driving low into the far corner in front of the away end - cue jubilant scenes among players and fans alike!
Head Coach Karen Hills said: "This is what it's all about, it's about getting points on the board and putting performances in and I think the girls were outstanding and deserved those three points today. Also, it helps us to sustain what we're actually trying to achieve - it's all part of the journey and part of the learning process. We've only been together (as a squad) for a very short time but today we looked so together, so focused and thoroughly deserved the three points."
