Women suffer heavy defeat in final World Sevens outing

Facing the group leaders and in need of a win to progress, we had it all to do at the Gtech Community Stadium. And that task was made all the harder five minutes in as we found ourselves 2-0 down after conceding twice inside the same minute, first through Melvine Malard before Anna Sandberg found the back of the net.

Jess Park gave United their third and fourth goals a minute either side of the break. Cathinka Tandberg got us on the scoresheet quickly after that fourth, but the Red Devils responded and had their fifth, sixth and seventh goals by 24 minutes with Lea Schuller, Julia Zigiotti and Maya Le Tissier all getting in on the act.

Olivia Holdt pulled another back for us before Park completed her hat-trick with United's eighth. We had a great opportunity to pull another back in the final minutes when we were awarded a penalty but goalkeeper Sophie Jackson blazed over from the spot.

United were dominant from the start. Having already scored five against West Ham and four against Aston Villa in their opening games, the Red Devils were once again sharp and on the front foot as they looked to make sure of their place in the semi-finals.

From the off they caused us countless problems and by the fifth minute were two ahead thanks to great finishes from Malard and Sandberg.

Despite their lead, they never let off, going on to rattle the crossbar, force Eleanor Heeps into two brilliant saves to deny Malard and Maya Le Tissier before Jess Park clipped in to make it 3-0 before the break.

We should have been on the scoresheet amongst all the United pressure but neither Tandberg or Holdt could beat goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. And we were made to pay for that immediately after the break as Park found space to drive into and finish.

We did pull one back seconds later as a superb backheel from Signe Gaupset put it on a plate for Tandberg to fire through Tullis-Jouyce but on 19 minutes United had hit us on the break through Schuller to restore their four-goal advantage.

Minutes later, Zigotti got in on the act with a tap in before Le Tissier glanced home a header to see United score seven.

We pulled back another goal with four minutes remaining as Holdt fired in with a trivela finish but, as they had done all game, United responded almost immediately, Park getting her hat-trick on the break as we pushed for further goals.

We should have had a third with just over a minute remaining. The referee awarded us a penalty after Malard was adjudged to have handled in the box. Goalkeeper Jackson was given the responsibility of the spot-kick but she blazed over.

Spurs: Heeps, Morris, Bartrip (c), A. Nilden, Holdt, Tandberg, Pierre. Substitutes: Jackson, Mace, Hills, Summanen, Gauspet, Oukriss, Dennis.

Manchester United: Tullis-Joyce, Le Tissier (c), Park, Terland, Naalsund, Zigiotti, Turner. Substitutes: Rendell, Sandberg, Lundkvist, Malard, Awujo, Wangerheim, Schuller.