Ladies sign highly-rated defender Hannah MacKenzie

Spurs Ladies have signed highly-rated defender Hannah MacKenzie as they continue to build for their first season in the Women's Super League.

Hannah, 22, joins from Reading's development squad having previously spent her junior career at Chelsea.

She joins summer recruits Sarah Wiltshire, Ashleigh Neville and Lauren Pickett as manager Karen Hills puts together her squad for the WSL 2 opener at Durham on September 24.

Karen said: "We've looked to strengthen from a defensive point of view and Hannah is a real all-rounder.

"She has leadership qualities, strong in the air, commanding, good passer of the ball and not afraid of a tackle either. She adds that physicality. She's trained with us for a couple of weeks and has fitted in really well."

Hannah added: "I'm very excited to join Spurs, it's a club on the up and I'm looking to put a marker down now for the start of the WSL 2 season."

Meanwhile, the team's preparations continued with a friendly against WSL 1 side Birmingham City last weekend.

Below: Spurs Ladies line-up against Birmingham

SPURS LADIES 0-4 BIRMINGHAM CITY
Pre-season friendly

Report from Khalid Karimullah at Cheshunt FC
Photographs with thanks to Wu's Photography

Spurs Ladies’ hope for a desired pre-season result against WSL 1, Birmingham City Ladies slowly faded away at Theobolds Lane, however it wasn’t without a second-half performance to match their counterparts.

It took all but three minutes for The Blues to open the scoring. Jess Carter floated in a cross to the near-post for Charlie Wellings to place into the top right.

Five minutes later the visitors doubled their lead. Andrine Hegerberg popped into the overlapping Freda Ayisi bursting into the box, Toni-Anne Wayne could count herself unlucky with a wicked deflection looping her strike into the far corner.

Wendy Martin picked up possession deep, floated out towards Sarah Wiltshire, whose shot on the turn bobbled through to Ann-Katrin Berger.

Ayisi shimmied down the middle, placed back towards Paige Williams on the edge whose curler struck the upright.

Lucia Leon drove down the middle recycling with Maya Vio, her lay-off gave Wiltshire a chance to strike from afar, forcing Berger to pat down her stinger.

Williams set Ellen White away to the inside left, who placed a curling dipper over substitute stopper Chloe Morgan and into the far corner after 36 minutes.

Four minutes later, Hegerberg’s corner bounced into a crowded six-yard box for Abbey-leigh Stringer to latch on and fire across for four.

Momentum swung back-and-forth following the break. Hegerberg’s deep cross bounced kindly for Marisa Ewers to fire over from six-yards, and White struck wide of the left-hand post from 25-yards.

Kelley Blanchfower looked for a response hustling possession off Maddy Cusack prior to bursting through on goal, only for Berger to smother down low. Hegerberg broke through for a one-on-one at the other end, but Morgan was out quick to make the stop.

Cusack’s inswinging cross dropped to Ewers who headed towards the top corner, which forced a spectacular reactionary save from Morgan.

Leon skilled her way from inside to out, played back inside for Sophie Mclean, who couldn’t garner enough power on her strike allowing Berger to come across down low.

Spurs Ladies matchday squad: Toni-Anne Wayne, Lucia Leon, Jenna Schillaci, Renee Hector, Ashleigh Neville, Josie Green, Maya Vio, Sophie Mclean, Sarah Wiltshire, Wendy Martin, Lauren Pickett. Subs (roll on/off): Chloe Morgan, Giorgina Baldwin, Kelley Blanchflower.