Kit: “We completely dominated the game”

Kit Graham said she was able to breath a sigh of relief following Saturday’s 4-1 win against Reading at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which secured our status in the Barclays Women’s Super League for 2023/24.

The forward put the result beyond doubt with our fourth goal of the game, tucking the ball into the bottom right corner calmly after taking it down well from Molly Bartrip’s pass over the top.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “We knew that we were going to be up for a tough game today against a tough team. We completely dominated the game to be honest and I never felt like we weren’t in control of it. It’s a great way to secure staying in the league for next season.

“It was just a sigh of relief really. To do it in the way we did, in complete control, we didn’t let it be a dogfight. So I’m glad we controlled this game and it wasn’t as hard as what we thought it was going to be.”

On her goal, Kit said: “As players, you picture moments like that, but it never feels as good as it does in the moment. I’m really glad to be back on the pitch and doing what I love. If goals come, they come, but I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. Today it fell into my path and thankfully I put it away. It’s a great feeling.

“I’ve had opportunities in previous games where I’ve maybe thought too much about it and it hasn’t gone in the back of the net. This one, I felt completely comfortable. I had quite a long time to choose what to do. I’m just glad it went in the back of the net and secured the win for us.”

Asked about the impact of our supporters at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Brisbane Road, and away from home this season, Kit said: “It’s a bit cliche but they really are the 12th player and our fans have been great all season to be fair. Today just proves, with the backing we’ve got from them and the atmosphere they create, it helped us out and we got the win, so credit to them.”

On the contribution Bethany England has made to the Club since her arrival from Chelsea in January, Kit was full of praise.

“For the last couple of seasons, we’ve maybe struggled with the final third,” she explained. “She’s such a clinical striker and a great girl to bring into our Club and to be around. We’re really grateful for what she’s done for us, coming in, and long may it continue.”

Following last season’s fifth-place finish in the WSL, we had our sights set on higher targets this year, but Kit said the mood in the camp has remained strong throughout testing times.

“Credit to us because you never go into training and have bad days,” she said. “We all love what we do and appreciate that results weren’t going our way. It’s important to stick with each other, which we did, and anyone looking in can tell that we’ve got a great vibe within our team. It’s been a good environment to be around and we want to keep that up.

“For me personally, I want to get back to my best self. It’s hard to come into a season midway through when people are a bit tired and it’s hard to get as sharp as I need to be, so I’m looking forward to starting fresh again already. Hopefully I can get my sharpness and match fitness back and push on from there.”