A stunning strike from Araya Dennis against her former club set the seal on a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace and rubber-stamped our place in the next round of the Women's League Cup on Wednesday night.
The youngster stepped off the bench and curled home a superb effort on the turn with 19 minutes remaining at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton, her first goal on only her second appearance for us.
That added to Matilda Vinberg's first goal of the season shortly after half-time as we completed the group stage with a 100 per cent record and made mathematically sure of progress to the next stage. Academy player Zara Bailey, 16, came off the bench for her senior debut in the closing moments to cap off a memorable evening.
With maximum points from our first two games, we were already in a strong position to qualify before kick-off, but we didn't take firm control of the tie until the second half. The opening spell didn't yield much in the way of chances, Ashleigh Neville and Lenna Gunning-Williams firing just off-target before the latter produced a low save from goalkeeper Milla-Maj Majasaari in our best effort just beyond the half-hour mark.
We cranked up the pressure after the restart, though, and after Martha Thomas' angled effort was tipped behind, we took the lead in the 50th minute when Gunning-Williams found Thomas in space in the box, she shaped to shoot but then unselfishly squared for the arriving Vinberg to roll home.
Thomas tested Majasaari from distance and then glanced a header wide from a corner while Molly Bartrip's excellent defensive header and subsequent block ensured there was no way through for the hosts. We duly doubled our lead on 71 minutes when the impressive Anna Csiki burst through towards the edge of the box and squared for substitute Dennis who, with her back to goal, turned and unleashed an excellent curling effort inside the far post.
Ashleigh Weerden tried to respond for Palace but fired over the bar while Vinberg and Bethany England went close in the latter stages as we saw out the game on the front foot.
