Hayley Raso's incredible goal on her debut lifted Tottenham past Crystal Palace, the newcomers to the Women's Super League, with ease.
The summer transfer from Real Madrid, the Australian, gave the home team the lead. Goals in the second half from Olga Ahtinen, Drew Spence, and Jess Naz completed a convincing win for Robert Vilahamn's team.
In stoppage time, Palace's debut WSL match concluded with ten points after substitute Brooke Aspin was sent for two bookings in a split second.
Raso, who had successful stints at Everton and Manchester City in the past, led Tottenham to a strong start.
The 30-year-old scored a goal that will go down in history as she jinked her way into the box and fired a precise finish into the far corner after collecting the ball halfway inside the Palace half while three defenders were circling her.
The visitors led by Laura Kaminski took the setback in stride and gained momentum in the second half, however they were unable to generate any noteworthy opportunities.
Just before the half, Raso had a chance to extend Spurs' lead but her effort went too close to Shae Yanez in the Palace goal after she was left unmarked for ten yards.
Yanez, one of seven rookies in the starting lineup, made 13 saves in an incredibly outstanding display, but she was unable to stop Tottenham's offensive in the second half.
Soon after the break, Naz finished at the second try after Spence's no-look ball, and Spurs kept up the pressure as the opposition appeared increasingly worn out.
After Bethany England's deft flick placed her on the outside of the box, Ahtinen came off the bench to blast an unstoppable effort into the top corner from 20 yards, and Spence made it three with a clinical near-post finish.
The referee determined that Aspin, on loan from Chelsea, had tripped Spurs' Anna Csiki, and Aspin kicked the ball away angrily, only Yanez's quick reflexes saving Palace from more humiliation.
Aspin was issued the red card after each offense, capping a challenging first day for the visitors in the top division.
Comments
Post a Comment