Spurs Women came from behind to return to winning ways in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League on Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 triumph away to Bristol City Women.
Abigail Harrison had fired Bristol into the lead on 39 minutes but two quick-fire goals from Kit Graham on 63 and 64 minutes – her first competitive goals for the Club - turned the game in our favour. Three minutes later, the attacker was in the thick of the action once more as she won us a penalty, but Rachel Furness’ resulting effort from the spot was saved.
Despite a late rally from the home side, we managed to seal maximum points on the road for the second time in the league this season.
We had started the brighter of the two sides. We were dominating possession and came close to taking the lead in the opening exchanges with both Ria Percival and Graham having efforts on goal before Lucy Quinn was inches away from putting us in front on 12 minutes as her effort rebounded off the post.
The home side quickly worked their way into the game though and, on 25 minutes, they themselves could have broken the deadlock but Olivia Chance couldn’t keep her effort from distance on target. Moments later, Bristol’s Harrison had her first chance of the day, but she sent the ball straight at goalkeeper Becky Spencer. Despite that miss, the striker soon found a way past Spencer as, on 39 minutes, she was on hand to lash home the inviting rebound after Chance’s initial goal-bound effort had been blocked.
In going behind, we responded well and after the interval, we came out with a renewed vigour. Within the first 15 minutes after the restart, that spirit saw us swiftly create two opportunities but we couldn't convert either with both Graham and Rianna Dean unable to find a way past Sophie Baggaley. However, Graham persisted in her assault on Baggaley’s goal and on 63 minutes, the midfielder got her just rewards and in some style. Picking the ball up just outside the box and with just a touch to set herself, she rifled the ball into the top corner of the net to put us back on terms. Then, just over 60 seconds later, she repeated that feat.
This time she collected the ball slightly further away but drove powerfully towards the target before once again picking her spot and thundering the ball out of the reach of the diving Baggaley to give us the lead.
She wasn’t finished there though as four minutes later, she was once more involved in the action in the final third. Quickest to the loose ball in the box, she was brought down by Yana Daniels and awarded a penalty. Furness stepped up to take the kick, but it was Baggaley who came out on top in the duel, saving low to her right. Trailing, the home side rallied in the last 20 minutes to find an equaliser, but our defence remained firm and composed to seal our third league win of the season.
We had been frustrated in the opening half as, despite enjoying plenty of possession, we couldn’t find a way through the Bristol defence. Yet, a moment of magic from Graham got us back on terms on 63 minutes as she found space before thundering the ball into the top corner. That was the catalyst for us to almost immediately take the lead in the game and go on to see out the win.
Disappointed that her side found themselves trailing at the break, Head Coach Karen Hills was ultimately left delighted with the second-half performance, as we fought back from behind to win: "We went in at half-time disappointed. We took the game to them in the opening five minutes and I thought that we were on the front foot and, if we would have been more clinical in front of goal, it would have been a different story," she explained.
"We know that we have some fantastic characters in the changing room. We regrouped and knew we had the confidence and the ability to put in a good performance in the second half and really take the game to them - and we did just that. We made a couple of changes in terms of putting Kit (Graham) on the other wing and it worked in our favour - she scored two fantastic goals which are worthy of winning any game."
