Tottenham 1-0 Liverpool: Player ratings as Spurs edge to narrow WSL victory
By Ali Rampling
Tottenham marked their first WSL outing at their new Brisbane Road home with a victory as they ran out 1-0 winners over Liverpool on Sunday.
A Niamh Fahey own goal after 11 minutes was enough for Spurs to secure their second league win of the season.
Spurs had really struggled to create many clear cut opportunities during their opening two WSL matches, but burst out of the blocks during their first competitive outing at Brisbane Road.
Rehanne Skinner's side were rewarded for their fast start and opened the scoring inside 11 minutes. Celin Bizet burst past Jazz Matthew, and the summer signing's low cross was diverted into her own net by Niamh Fahey.
Spurs continued to apply the pressure as they searched for a second. Drew Spence rattled the upright with a fizzing effort from range, and Nikola Karczewska guided Ashleigh Neville's cross narrowly wide.
The lively Neville was right in the thick of the first half action and came within a whisker of doubling her side's advantage before the break, but her effort cannoned onto the cross bar after being smartly played in behind by Angharad James.
An improved Liverpool registered their first shot on target just before the hour mark, Yana Daniels forcing a comfortable save from Tinja-Riikka Korpela after the space had opened up for her on the edge of the box.
Substitute Ceri Holland skipped past three challenges and fired narrowly over as the Reds started to push for an equaliser.
Rhiannon Roberts flashed a dangerous delivery begging to be buried across the face of goal, and Katie Stengel called Korpela into action after a driving run and strike for the Liverpool forward as the clocked ticked towards the 90 minute mark, but Spurs hung on to claim all three points.
Tottenham (4-3-3)
GK: Tinja-Riikka Korpela - 7/10 - Comfortably held onto a Daniels effort, punched away a Roberts cross and did well to palm away a stinging Stengel effort. Cool with the ball at her feet.
RB: Amy Turner - 6/10 - Beaten by Hinds in the early exchanges but grew into the game defensively. Rarely ventured forward until firing an effort narrowly wide in the first half.
CB: Shelina Zadorsky - 7/10 - Very strong distribution, made an important block to keep out Koivisto in the second half.
CB: Molly Bartrip - 7/10 - Produced a great piece of defending to prevent Stengel bursting through on goal in the first half - and then kickstarted a move from which Spurs almost doubled their advantage.
LB: Asmita Ale - 7/10 - The more attacking of Tottenham's two fullbacks. Linked up well with Neville throughout.
CM: Evelina Summanen - 7/10 - Tried her luck from range in the second half, really smart and tidy in possession.
CM: Angharad James (59' for Cho) - 6/10 - Picked out Neville with a fabulous pass in the first half, from which Spurs almost added a second. Played a couple of smart passes down the line to stretch the game, replaced just before the hour.
CM: Drew Spence - 8/10 - Really lively and involved in so many positive Spurs moves. Cracked the post with a fizzing first half effort.
RW: Celin Bizet (79' for Naz) - 8/10 - Blazed over during the opening exchanges, before setting up Spurs' opener with burst of pace and teasing low cross. Looked really tricky and exciting. Not afraid to do the dirty work either, with one particularly excellent second half recovery tackle. Beaten by Lawley on a couple of occasions in the latter stages.
ST: Nikola Karczewska (79' for Brazil) - 6/10 - Fired narrowly wide after being found by Neville in the first half - her only clear sighting of goal.
LW: Ashleigh Neville - 9/10 - Tried her effort from range early doors. Picked out Karczewska with a fabulous cross from which Tottenham almost doubled their lead. A constant threat, the beating heart of every positive Spurs move.
SUB: So-Hyun Cho (59' for James) - 5/10
SUB: Ellie Brazil (79' for Karczewska) - 6/10
SUB: Jessica Naz (79' for Bizet) - 6/10
Liverpool (3-4-3)
GK: Rachel Laws - 6/10 - Beaten by a deflection at her near post for the opener but otherwise didn't have many saves to make, with the woodwork keeping Spurs out on a couple of occasions.
RWB: Emma Koivisto (68' for Roberts) - 5/10 - Had one positive charge forward in the second half, but otherwise largely pinned back in her own half by the lively Neville - who she struggled to contain.
CB: Gilly Flaherty - 6/10 - Made a last ditch intervention to prevent Spence bursting through in the opening 10 minutes. Quietly dependable.
CB: Niamh Fahey - 6/10 - Poked Bizet's cross into her own net as Spurs took the lead after 11 minutes. Made an important block to prevent Neville playing a dangerous cross into the six yard box in the second half.
CB: Jazz Matthews - 6/10 - Beaten by the pace of Bizet in the build up to Liverpool conceding the opener.
LWB: Taylor Hinds - 5/10 - Looked lively early on, getting the better of Turner with a burst of pace, but didn't have a great deal of opportunities to get forward after that and was largely kept quiet.
CM: Missy Bo Kearns (68' for Campbell) - 5/10 - Occasionally overrun in the midfield and caught out by the Spurs press in her own half at times.
CM: Rachel Furness (59' for Holland) - 5/10 - Occasionally caught out by the Spurs press as Liverpool struggled to play out from the back in the first half. Replaced just before the hour having picked up a booking.
RW: Yana Daniels - 6/10 - Had Liverpool's first effort on target after space opened up for her on the edge of the box, but
ST: Katie Stengel - 6/10 - Liverpool's front three frequently interchanged, with Stengel occasionally drifting to the left flank. Largely left to feed off scraps until the latter stages of the second half, drawing a good save from Korpela following a driving run.
LW: Mel Lawley - 7/10 - Saw a lot more of the ball in the second half and was Liverpool's most creative outlet with a series of weaving runs down the left and dangerous deliveries.
SUB: Ceri Holland (59' for Furness) - 6/10
SUB: Rhiannon Roberts (68' for Koivisto) - 6/10
SUB: Megan Campbell (68' for Kearns) - 6/10
Attendance: 2,105