Late goals secure victory over Hammers in WSL finale

Fine goals from Jess Naz and Drew Spence in the closing stages of the game secured a 3-1 victory over West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in our final Barclays Women’s Super League game of the season on Saturday afternoon.

After Riko Ueki’s second-half strike cancelled out Bethany England’s early opener, it looked like it was going to be one of those stories of missed opportunities as we hit the woodwork multiple times, but two thumping finishes in the closing moments meant we finished the campaign with a well-earned win.

Naz, who was fresh off a first standby call-up to the England senior squad this week, showed composure inside the box to put us ahead with four minutes left on the clock and, while that seemed the winner, Spence stepped up in the ninth minute of stoppage time with a stunning goal from distance to wrap up the three points.

Robert Vilahamn made four changes to the starting XI that faced Chelsea on Wednesday evening as Becky Spencer, Martha Thomas and Charlotte Grant returned, while Ramona Petzelberger made her first start in the WSL since our historic victory over Arsenal back in December.

And it only took four minutes for us to find a breakthrough as Thomas capitalised on a mistake from Mackenzie Arnold and lifted the ball to England, who took one touch before firing home at the near post. West Ham responded and Spencer had to be alert, getting down to save a low driven effort from Honoka Hayashi, while Celin Bizet, who was causing a number of problems down the right, got past her defender and her fizzed cross was headed away by Amber Tysiak.

From the resulting corner, Eveliina Summanen’s delivery found Grant completely free at the back post, however, her header bounced off the outside of the post before Thomas was denied by Arnold who scrambled across to push her effort around the post.

We dominated for large spells of the first half, but just lacked the end product in the final third, while the visitors were inches away from grabbing an equaliser in the closing stages of the half as Jessica Ziu’s cross fell to Viviane Asseyi but Spencer was able to react to her prodded shot.

Our failure to capitalise on a dominant first half was punished within five minutes of the restart as a low driven effort from Ueki from just outside the box cannoned off the inside of the far post and into the back of the net. We looked for an instant response and our captain had two great opportunities in quick succession, England latching onto a ball over the top from Summanen and firing over the bar, before she met Ashleigh Neville’s cross from the right, this time failing to keep her header down.

We struck the woodwork twice in nine minutes before Hawa Cissoko’s clearance ricocheted off England inside the six-yard box, bouncing narrowly wide as we continued to push for a winner, however, the visitors still posed a threat as Ziu advanced down the right and Neville recovered well to clear her low ball across the face of the goal.

As the game entered the closing stages, we eventually found a much-deserved second goal as Naz, who was part of a triple substitution just before the hour mark, raced onto Clinton’s through ball, shrugging off Tysiak before slotting the ball past Arnold.

The visitors searched for a leveller late on, Tysiak’s header gratefully collected by Spencer, but we further extended our advantage deep in stoppage in time and it was a wonder strike from Spence, curling a long-range effort into the top right corner, capping off a history-making campaign.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – England 4, Naz 86, Spence 90+9; West Ham – Ueki 50.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Ahtinen 60, Grant 90+8; West Ham – Smith 54.

Referee: Phoebe Cross.

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Conditions: Overcast, mild, 21 degrees.

Attendance: 9,999.