Penalty pain in Ladies' season opener

Spurs Ladies were left disappointed on Saturday night after they lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout to Crystal Palace Ladies in the opening game of the Continental Tyres Cup, writes Rosie Bonass.

The game, Spurs’ first competitive outing of 2018/19, ended 1-1 after 90 minutes as Kallie Balfour cancelled out Josie Green’s first-half strike to force the match into penalties.

Sarah Wiltshire, Angela Addison – who had earlier missed a penalty in normal time as a chance to win the game for Spurs went begging – and Sophie McLean all converted from 12 yards, but an unfortunate miss from Renée Hector led to Ashlee Hincks winning it for Palace with the final spot kick.

The end result meant that Spurs came away from Bromley FC with one point, while Palace top Group One South with two points – one for the draw and an additional one for winning the shootout.

Spurs started the first half with a clear attacking intent and Jess Naz did brilliantly to win a free-kick in a dangerous position after two minutes, but Addison’s effort went inches over the crossbar.

Shortly after, Coral-Jade Haines played a long free-kick in to Naz, who tried her luck with a volley from the edge of the box, but it just skimmed over the bar.

With plenty of attractive football on show, Haines was involved once more. Her quick through ball to Bianca Baptiste eventually set up Hector for a delightful flick from five yards, but Megan Lynch reacted quickly to deny the defender from a moment of magic.

The home team had their first meaningful chance after 35 minutes when Balfour was fouled just outside the box and a free-kick from Hincks was drilled over the crossbar.

Green eventually gave Spurs a thoroughly deserved lead in the 37th minute when a blocked cross from Addison fell to the midfielder, who fired the ball into the top right corner for 1-0.

The game opened up in the second half and Balfour brought Palace back onto level terms in the 64th minute as she slotted the ball past Chloe Morgan into the bottom right corner.

Moments later, Addison won a penalty after she drove into the box with quick feet, leaving the Palace defence with no option but to bring her down. The young attacker stepped up to take her spot kick, only to see her powerful strike rattle the post.

The Lilywhites pushed for a winning goal in the closing stages with efforts from Baptiste and Wiltshire but in the end, Spurs were punished for their earlier missed opportunities. 

Key moment

Spurs Ladies first team coach Juan Amoros pointed to some missed chances in the second half as being costly in the post-match reckoning.

“We played some attractive football and created more chances than the opposition, but we have to be better in front of goal in the same way that we should have defended better in the second half,” he commented.

“It was just one of those games. The positive is that the team did well and we dominated the game but we should have put the game to bed earlier, probably within the first half. We are obviously gutted that we didn’t win.”

Match data

Goals: Crystal Palace – Balfour 64; Spurs – Green 37.

Referee: James Simpson.

Venue: Bromley FC.

Attendance: 372.