Thumping win over Reading in Conti Cup

A clinical performance featuring six different goalscorers ensured our Continental League Cup campaign got off to the perfect start against Reading on Wednesday evening.

China international forward Zhang Linyan opened the scoring just 10 minutes into her Spurs debut at Brisbane Road before further goals from Kit Graham, Asmita Ale, Ria Percival, Jessica Naz and Martha Thomas – her third in three games – gave us a convincing 6-0 victory in our Group D clash.

Robert Vilahamn made 10 changes from the weekend's victory over Bristol City, with Angharad James the only player to retain her place in the starting line-up. Barbora Votikova and Linyan came in for their debuts while Ramona Petzelberger made her return to action off the bench. Reading gave debuts to three Academy graduates, as Eve Annets, Freya Meadows-Tuson and Amelia Elwood all made their first senior starts, but it proved to be a tough night for the Royals as we dominated from start to finish.

It took just 10 minutes to break the deadlock, Ale showing excellent work down the left to beat Meadows-Tuson and slide the ball across for Linyan to side-foot home from six yards out. Percival glanced a header just wide from a corner but we soon doubled our lead on 19 minutes when Rosella Ayane spotted Graham unmarked near the edge of the box and she took a touch and drilled left-footed past Annets.

We were playing some lovely one-touch football and one superb move almost yielded a third but Naz drilled just wide at the end of the play and she was in again soon after, only for Annets to make a fine save to tip her effort onto the post.

Just two minutes into the second half, it was 3-0 after half-time substitute Petzelberger’s through ball found Ale down the left, she cut inside onto her right foot and clipped a lovely finish past Annets. We breached the Reading defence again on 56 minutes when Percival stooped to flick a near-post header in from Graham’s corner and the fifth came six minutes later, Annets playing the ball out straight to Ayane who quickly found Naz and she steered the ball home with a composed finish.

Substitutes Grace Clinton and Thomas combined for our sixth just eight minutes after entering the game, the former clipping a delightful ball over the top for Scotland international Thomas to race onto and score. It wasn’t until the 90th minute that the Royals fashioned their first shot at goal of any kind, the ball falling to Lulu Jarvis following a corner but Votikova showed great concentration to make a smart save, her only real action of note throughout the 90 minutes. Stoppage time saw shots from Thomas and Clinton, but Annets made comfortable saves to prevent us from adding to our tally.

The result put our first three points on the board in Group D with a date also now confirmed for our fixture away to Arsenal in this competition, the other two fixtures against Bristol City and Southampton having already been announced. We’ll take on the Gunners at Meadow Park on Wednesday 13 December, kick-off 7pm.

Reaction on SPURSPLAY

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Linyan 10, Graham 19, Ale 47, Percival 56, Naz 62, Thomas 72.

Yellow card: Spurs – Ayane.

Referee: Amy Fearn.

Venue: Brisbane Road.

Weather: Light rain showers, gentle breeze, 14 degrees.

Attendance: 531.