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Chelsea reached the Conti Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening at Brisbane Road.  Sam Kerr scored twice (though the first might be an own goal from Molly Bartrip) and second half substitute Fran Kirby got the other.  Former Chelsea player Drew Spence scored a late consolation goal for Spurs.

The pitch had passed an afternoon inspection and it was not as cold as previous evenings, though it was raining heavily as the sides warmed but that got lighter during the match. 

The home side had won their Conti Cup group to reach this stage.  Manu Iwabuchi made her debut for Spurs after joining on loan from Arsenal.  Beth England also made her first home appearance against her former side.  Rehanne Skinner’s Tottenham lined up with five across the back when defending with Celin Bizet and Kerys Harrop playing as wing backs. When attacking, their formation looked like it turned into 3-4-3. 

Chelsea were making their first appearance in the Conti Cup this season after not playing in the group stage due to being in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.  They made one change from their abandoned game against Liverpool at the weekend with Lauren James coming in for Niamh Charles.  Emma Hayes used a 4-2-3-1 formation with the full backs getting forward, especially Eve Perisset, to support.

Tottenham had the first chance but a Eveliina Summanen free kick went straight at Zecira Musovic who easily caught it.  Chelsea first opportunity came when a ball found Perisset who sent a low shot narrowly wide. 

Bizet had the next effort for Spurs but again the shot was straight at Musovic.  The Chelsea fans were making a lot of noise, and they saw their side have the next chance when a nice move finished with James seeing her low shot saved by Tinja-Riikka Korpela. 

Korpela made another save when she caught Jelena Cankovic’s 20-yard effort.  James had the visitors next opportunity but her low shot was deflected just wrong side of post.  From the corner, James had another effort at goal but her powerful shot from 18-yards sailed over the crossbar.

In the 38th minute, Chelsea took the lead when Cuthbert’s low cross shot found the back of net when Kerr (or maybe Bartrip, or combination of both) got a touch on it. 

The Blues had another chance before half time when Perisset’s cross found head of Kerr but the ball went into the keepers hands.

The first chance for the second half went Tottenham’s way when Spence shot wide in the 49th minute. 

It was a fairly quiet start chance wise after the break with neither side having another attempt at goal until the midway point of it when the visitors made it 2-0.  James received the ball and went past Harrop then passed to Kirby who finished first time from 12-yards to score Chelsea’s second in the 68th minute.

Rosella Ayane saw her shot go wide for the home side a minute after they went two behind.  Another nice Chelsea move in the 73rd minute finished with a Kerr shot being blocked.  A Chelsea cross was headed narrowly wide of their own post by a Tottenham defender. From corner, a James shot from the edge of area was easily claimed by Korpela.

Korpela made two saves in quick succession to stop Chelsea extending their lead when first she came out to block a shot, then seconds later saved another effort with her legs.

Chelsea made it 3-0 in the 86th minute when they took a quick free kick which found Kerr who finished when she dinked the ball over Korpela.

Five minutes of stoppage time were signalled and both sides had chances during that.  A ball from a free kick found England but her low effort was saved for the home side.  Chelsea went down the other end but James couldn’t get clean contact on a low cross across goal.

Tottenham got a goal back in the fourth minute of added time when Drew Spence found the top corner of the net with a rocket of a shot from just outside the area. 

The win sees Chelsea through to the semi-finals of the Conti Cup for the sixth consecutive season, they will face West Ham United.

Both Spurs and Chelsea start their FA Cup campaigns on Sunday with Tottenham at home to Championship leaders London City Lionesses whilst Chelsea are at home to fellow WSL side Liverpool.

Line ups

Tottenham Hotspur (5-4-1):  Korpela, Bizet, Turner, Bartrip, Zadorsky (c), Harrop, Ayane, Summanen (James 82’), Spence, Iwabuchi (Ubogagu 59’), England

Substitutes: Spencer, Naz, Karczewska, Ale

Goal – Spence 90’+4

Booked – Ayane

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Musovic, Perisset (Charles 83’), Buchanan, Bright (c), Carter, Ingle (Fleming 61’), Cuthbert, James, Cankovic (Kirby 61’), Reiten (Kaneryd 76’), Kerr

Substitutes: Berger, Svitkova, Eriksson, Mjelde, Abdullina

Goals – Kerr 38’, 86’, Kirby 68’

Booked – Reiten, James

Referee – Sunny Singh Gill