Holdt bags hat-trick as Spurs Women hit seven at Palace

The Eagles side played nearly 83 minutes with 10 players after Fuka Tsuonda was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Cathinka Tandberg and although they frustrated us in the first half to keep the scores level, the floodgates soon opened in the second period.

Making her first start of the season, Holdt volleyed home four minutes after the restart to hand us the lead and then doubled our advantage on the hour mark with a stunning strike from the edge of the box before wrapping up her hat-trick 17 minutes from time - becoming just the second Spurs player to score a hat-trick since we were promoted to the WSL in 2019.

However, the goals didn’t stop there as Pelova opened her account in a Spurs shirt followed by substitute Martinez also netting her first Spurs goal, Amanda Nilden slotted home our sixth before Pelova rounded off the scoring in the final minute of regulation time to complete a stunning second half display and maintain our unbeaten record in the WSL.

Former Spur Bethany England came close for her side after just five minutes, firing over the bar from a tight angle on the right of the box, before the home side were dealt a massive blow two minutes later when Tsuonda was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Tandberg just inside our half. That would set the tempo for the rest of the game as we dominated possession and created the most opportunities – 71% possession and 19 shots in total in the first 45 minutes - but struggled to break down a stubborn Palace defence for the rest of the half.

Tandberg struck the woodwork on 15 minutes as her looping header from Kirsty Hanson’s cross bounced off the top of the crossbar before Julie Blakstad guided an effort into the side-netting after teasing cross from Caitlin Dijkstra. Pauline Peyraud-Magnin was alert in and around her box, clawing out Pelova’s corner that looked destined to be heading straight in, before she got her fingertips on A. Nilden’s left-footed strike from the edge of the box to push it on to the bar, ensuring her side went into the break at level.

Having been frustrated for 45 minutes in the first period, we needed just four minutes after the break to eventually find the breakthrough. A quick thrown-in from Caitlin Dijkstra found Pelova advancing inside the right of the box and from the byline, she clipped a cross into the middle and Holdt was there to volley home the opener, opening her account for the campaign. Deservedly taking the lead, Palace tried to fight back as Shannon O’Brien wandered through but only fired straight into the hands of Lize Kop.

Just after the hour mark, we doubled our lead and it was a stunner from Holdt, who took one touch from Gaupset’s pass into her on the edge of the box before rifling home into roof of the net. Pelova saw her diving header saved on the goal-line by Peyraud-Magnin before Matilda Vinberg dragged an effort wide, but we soon had our third with Holdt completing her hat-trick on 73 minutes. Collecting the ball around 25 yards out, our number 11 took aim from distance and sent a swerving effort towards goal that Peyraud-Magnin managed to get a hand on to, but couldn’t keep it out of her net.

Three minutes later and Pelova grabbed her first Spurs goal – and our fourth – as she struck a low left-footed drive from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. It quickly became five and Shekiera Martinez this time opened her account for the Club, Caitlin Dijkstra with a lovely curling pass to set Gaupset around the Palace backline, she then unselfishly squared to Martinez in the middle and although she was initially denied at first attempt, she bundled home on the rebound.

With just four minutes remaining in normal time, we had our sixth and it was A. Nilden’s turn to get on the scoring act, slotting home under Peyraud-Magnin after Vinberg teed up her Sweden national team-mate on the left of the box. Then, four minutes later, Pelova had her second and our seventh of the afternoon, Vinberg picking out Pelova inside the box, she showed some good footwork to switch the ball on to her left before drilling low into the bottom corner at the near post, wrapping up a sensational second half display

Line-up

Palace: Peyraud-Magin, Napier (Swaby 84), Everett (c), Lloyd-Smith (Larkin 67), England (Howat 67), Blanchard, Goldie, Hopcroft (Enge 84), Tsuonda, O'Brien (Weerden 84), Bartrip. Substitutes (not used): Yanez, Sharpe, Cosme, Noland.

Spurs: Kop, Dijkstra, A. Nilden, Gaupset (Ahtinen 79), Tandberg (Martinez 67), Holdt (M. Nilden 74), Hanson (Vinberg 67), Pelova, Spence (c), Koga, Blakstad (Sombath 75). Substitutes (not used): Panengstuen, Morris, Wijk, Summanen.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Holdt 49, 61, 73, Pelova 76, 90, Martinez 79, A. Nilden 86.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Hanson 27

Red card: Palace – Tsuonda 7

Referee: Sophie Dennington.

Venue: Selhurst Park.

Weather: Sunny, 22 degrees.

Attendance: TBC.