Spurs Women

Tottenham Hotspur beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round thanks to Kit Graham’s second half goal against her former club.

This tie at the Gaughan Group Stadium on Saturday evening pitched Women’s Super League Spurs against the current Women’s Championship leaders and it turned out to be a close affair.

In the second minute, the home side had the first chance when Eveliina Summanen’s flicked header from a corner hit the top of the crossbar and went over. Bethany England maybe should have done better when she headed wide from close range for the hosts in the 10 th minute after a cross had only been pushed as far as her.

The Addick’s first opportunity came in the 15 th minute but Kate Longhurst’s header from a corner was blocked. Tegan McGowan lost possession when turning in the area a couple of minutes later and Spurs goalkeeper Becky Spencer claimed the ball.

After some nice play from the home side in the 22 nd minute, Grace Clinton played in Celin Bizet but she fired over the bar.

Freda Ayisi whipped in a free kick for the visitors that missed everyone as the match approached the half-hour point. A couple of minutes later, Ayisi saw her free kick from 25- yards hit the wall before being cleared.

The conditions weren’t great with persistent rain falling through most of the match, and there were a number of misplaced passes from both sides.

The hosts finished the first half well but England wasn’t able to get onto Olga Ahtinen’s cross. In the 41 st minute, Ahtinen’s long-range chip dipped over the crossbar. Wang Shuang aimed at goal from just outside the area but her shot went the wrong side of the post just as stoppage time was announced.

Spurs made a double substitution at half time with Martha Thomas and Jessica Naz coming on for Clinton and Wang. Two minutes after the break, a cross from the home side went over England’s head and hit Bizet before going behind for a goal kick. Thomas couldn’t get on the end of another cross with Elisha N’Dow clearing the ball.

Charlton’s first effort of the second half came in the 52 nd minute when McGowan sent a low shot narrowly wide.

England had another opportunity for the hosts in the 55 th minute but she put her shot wide of the post. N’Dow then blocked an Amanda Nilden effort on the hour mark.

Tottenham came close to taking the lead in the 65 th minute when Nilden played the ball back to England but her effort from just outside the 6-yard box cannoned back off the crossbar and out of the area.

Nobody from the home side could get on the end of a Matilda Vinberg corner in the 74 th minute. Naz saw a shot saved by Jessica Gray a minute later.

Spurs took the lead in the 76 th minute when second half substitute Graham won the ball back and her low shot from outside the area found the back of the net.

Another dangerous Vinberg corner went right across the area in the 80 th minute with no one able to get the final touch. Graham saw an effort fly over following a corner as the home side looked to wrap the tie up.

Karin Muya saw her shot from the edge of the area take a deflection and trickle to Spurs keeper in the 84 th minute.

Nine minutes of stoppage time were signalled, and in the second minute of these, the Addick’s Mary Bashford saw her shot from 25-yards caught by Spencer. The match had got a bit tetchy during the second half and there were a few yellow cards shown, including one for someone on the Spurs bench.

A long free kick forward from Charlton was headed just wide of her own goal by Nilden for a corner deep in additional time. That came to nothing and Spurs held out for the remaining time without any problems to progress to the quarter-finals.

Line ups

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Spencer, Grant, Buhler (James-Turner 62’), Bartrip, Nilden, Ahtinen, Summanen (Graham 70’), Clinton (Thomas 46’), Bizet (Vinberg 62’), England (c), Wang (Naz 46’)

Unused substitutes: Votikova, Brazil, Ayane

Goal – Graham 76’

Booked – Summanen, Naz

Charlton Athletic (4-2-3-1): Gray, Roe, Skeels, N’Dow, O’Rourke (Bashford 83’), Longhurst (c), Ross (Filis 74’), Addison (Muya 83’), McGowan (Johnson 74’), Barton, Ayisi (McKenna 63’)

Unused substitutes: Rogers, Humphrey

Booked – O’Rourke, Johnson, Barton

Referee – Lisa Benn

Attendance - 974