Woodwork thwarts us once again as we're held by Foxes in WSL

For the second in as many games, we were twice denied by the woodwork in the Barclays Women's Super League with Leicester City forcing us to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Utterly dominant in the Foxes' den, we should have been home and dry by half-time as we created a hatful of chances but, as we went in at the break with the game still goalless, we were quickly punished for not taking our chances as for the second time in as many games, the unfortunate Josefine Rybrink saw an effort cannon in off her to give our hosts the lead.

Yet, we responded well and were more than deservedly level seven minutes later as Drew Spence turned home Jess Naz's cross. With the wind in our sails, we went for the full three points and had two great opportunities to do so - yet the woodwork denied us twice.

Having found the frame of the goal on two occasions last time out as we fell 2-0 to West Ham United, Eveliina Summanen crashed a free-kick off the bar on 68 minutes - just as she had done against the Hammers - before, in the penultimate minute, we came all so close to a winner as Olga Ahtinen saw her corner clip the wrong side of the post.

Ultimately there will be disappointment in not taking home the three points from Leicester, but it does bring an end our six-game losing streak in all competitions ahead of the April international break.

Effortless from Drew 🪄pic.twitter.com/xxbFpTL4TC

— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) March 30, 2025

The opening half was a familiar story from our recent outings in the WSL where we created a number of opportunities but, once again, we just failed to capitalise. Starting on the front foot in the glorious sun, Olivia Holdt grazed the top of the netting with a curling effort from distance before Ella Morris was denied by Leitzig after her shot from right area of the box was pushed around the post and, on 19 minutes, the hosts were indebted to their shot stopper once again, producing a big save to keep out Martha Thomas as Amanda Nilden’s lovely curled pass set our number 17 through one-on-one.

While we were causing a number of problems in the Leicester half, having around 73% possession at the time, the hosts did pose a threat at the other end, Hannah Cain failed to steer her first time shot on target after a fizzed cross from Shana Chossenotte. An enegertic half an hour from us started to slow down as we entered the closing stages of the first period as both sides couldn’t be separated before the break.

Rybrink and Thomas saw efforts blocked in quick succession in the early stages of the restart before Spence fired over the bar after a quick counterattack led by the midfielder, but despite our dominance throughout the game to this point, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 55th-minute in somewhat fortunate fashion as Cain’s powerful shot was parried away by Lize Kop but only to bounce off Rybrink and into the back of the net.

However, just seven minutes later, we got back on level terms as Maite Oroz fed the ball out wide to Naz, she advanced to the byline before cutting back to Spence on the edge of the six-yard box who caressed a side-footed volley into the bottom corner to celebrate her 50th WSL appearance for us in style. The celebrations could have been short lived as, just a minute later, Morris produced a superb block to send Cain’s well-struck effort from distance over the bar while, at the other end, we were inches away from taking the lead when Summanen’s free-kick, from around 25 yards out in a central position, crashed against the crossbar with Rosella Ayane unable to follow up on the rebound.

Substitutes Matilda Vinberg and Ashleigh Neville both tested from Leitzig from distance before the game burst into life in stoppage time when Vinberg forced the Foxes’ number one to tip the ball over the bar and, from the resulting corner, Ahtinen saw her corner evade a number of bodies inside the box before coming off the outside of the post, but it just wasn’t to be as both sides settled for a point at King Power Stadium.

Team news saw Robert Vilahamn make one changes to his starting XI that faced West Ham last time out, with Naz replacing Charlotte Grant in the forward area, while Ahtinen and Ayane both returned to the matchday squad and were named amongst the substitutes.

Match data

Goals: Leicester – Rybrink OG 55; Spurs – Spence 62.

Yellow cards: Leicester - Bott 39.

Referee: Grace Lowe.

Venue: King Power Stadium.

Weather: Sunny, 14 degrees.