Conti Cup qualification secured with victory over Southampton

We secured our place in the quarter-final of the FA Women's Continental Tyres League Cup after a 3-0 victory over Southampton on Thursday evening with Ramona Petzelberger and Charlotte Grant netting their first goal for the Club.

Ramona Petzelberger’s deflected effort handed us the lead just before the half hour mark before Grant – on her second start in Lilywhite - forced the ball home from close-range to double our advantage.

The scoring was rounded off in spectacular fashion with a stunning strike from Grace Clinton for her third goal in two games this week, with the win at Eastleigh's Silverlake Stadium seeing us progress into the next round of the competition - for the third consecutive season - as one of the two best runners-up.

Robert Vilahamn made eight changes to his starting XI that faced West Ham United, handing defender Amanda Nildén her debut with Matilda Vinberg also making her first start since joining the Club at the beginning of the month.

The hosts provided the early pressure in the opening stages as corners caused a few problems inside our box, but nothing to test Becky Spencer in between the sticks.

We grew into the game and started to carve out opportunities, Martha Thomas unable to sort her feet out at the back-post after Nildén’s cross fell unexpectedly to the forward before Matilda Vinberg failed to latch onto Rosella Ayane’s low cross.

Thomas struck the woodwork in the 18th minute, the Scotland international flicking on Petzelberger’s cross but came off the crossbar, and shortly after, a snapshot from Thomas on edge of the box went wide of the post.

The woodwork was rattled once again, but this time at the other end of the pitch, as a hosts’ corner came off one of our defenders and, thankfully, hit the inside of the far-post and was eventually cleared away.

As the clock struck towards the half hour mark, we broke the deadlock – albeit with some slight fortune – as Ayane’s free-kick was only cleared to Petzelberger just inside the area and her effort on the half-volley found the back of the net via a big deflection.

We had an opportunity to double our lead in the final minutes of the first half as Amy Turner’s long ball forward set Ayane through on the right, she looked to slide it across to Vinberg but Howard got a small touch to divert it away from Sweden international.

After a number of changes at the break from both sides, unsurprisingly, it was a slow start to proceedings, but Ayane should have added a second in the 55^th minute, Naz picking out the forward advancing into the box and she guided her first-time effort wide.

We doubled our advantage in the 67th minute as Vinberg’s corner was met by Grant, she forced the ball through the legs of Rendell, and despite the best efforts of the Saints goalkeeper, it was adjudged to have gone over the line.

Vinberg’s corners continued to cause more problems for the hosts as Bethany England rose highest at the back-post, but sent her header narrowly wide. We added our third of the evening in the 78^th minute and it was a wonderful finish from Grace Clinton, she collected the ball inside the area, on the right, and fired an effort into the top far corner.

It was looking like one of the evenings for England as she struck the woodwork twice in the closing stages, our captain seeing her effort from a tight angle hitting the outside of the post before Rendell’s attempted clearance ricocheted off her and bounced off the upright.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Petzelberger 29, Grant 67, Clinton 78

Yellow cards: Spurs – Matilda 34, Grant 70

Referee: Lisa Benn

Venue: Silverlake Stadium

Weather: Heavy rain, 12 degrees

Attendance: 1735