Jiali Tang's first goal for the Club secured a winning start to Spurs Women's Continental League Cup campaign against Charlton at The Hive on Wednesday evening.
The goal arrived in the 51st minute of a dominant performance against the Championship side managed by former Spurs boss Karen Hills, the Chinese international collecting Angela Addison's pass before firing low past Eartha Cumings.
It could and maybe should have been more but Charlton, with familiar faces in ex-Spurs Megan Wynne, Anna Filbey and Hannah Godfrey in their starting XI, stuck to their task defensively, with Cumings making a host of fine saves.
Nevertheless, the display and result was just what the doctor ordered after Sunday's disappointing WSL defeat at Brighton, and the perfect start in Group C, from which only the top team will progress.
Rehanne Skinner made eight changes to the team that started at Brighton, with only Molly Bartrip, Kerys Harrop and Kit Graham in the line-up.
After a cagey start, we started to pick passes between the lines against a well-organised Charlton, and chances followed. Kit Graham beat Eartha Cumings to Jess Naz's pass on 10 minutes but could only prod the ball away from goal and Angela Addison will probably still be wondering how her looping header from Esther Morgan's cross didn't go in, the effort hitting the inside of the post and running across the line before being grabbed by Cumings.
Josie Green pinged a 30-yarder just over on 24 minutes, Graham was denied by a combination of Cumings and Anna Filbey, Jiali Tang's shot was deflected over, Asmita Ale flicked over Addison's cross and, on 35 minutes, Graham forced the save of the half from Cumings, who tipped over her free-kick from 25 yards. At the other end, Charlton looked to press and counter where possible, but we stayed in control. Kiera Skeels found a yard of space on 33 minutes but her shot from 20 yards was always too high.
The second half followed the same pattern with chance after chance created. Cumings took Green's free-kick flying to her left early, but the breakthrough wasn't far away. Six minutes into the second half, Addison did well down the left to find Tang, who controlled well, turned and got her shot off early from the left angle as defenders closed in. This time, Cumings couldn't keep it out.
Tinja-Riikka Korpela made her first save of note to gather Bethan Roe's snapshot on 66 minutes, but play was straight down the other end as a lovely move involving substitutes Shelina Zadorsky, Kyah Simon and Tang saw Simon's shot again saved by Cumings. Graham then whistled a 25-yard effort just wide.
Filbey curled over for Charlton on 69 minutes but, again, play switched ends immediately as Simon broke through only to be blocked by Godfrey. Graham fired straight at Cumings and the keeper denied Simon before thwarting Graham again, this time from 10 yards. Maeva Clemaron, also off the bench, went close and, of course, at 1-0 up in a game we'd dominated, there had to be a scare at the end as Mia Ross met Roe's corner, but headed straight at Korpela.
