Robert Vilahamn’s Spurs had to rely on their leader, Bethany England, to salvage a deserved 1-1 draw against Brighton in the WSL on Sunday.
An unfortunate clash with the men’s north London derby may have been the primary reason for the slight dip in attendance figures for this fixture.
But the 1,290 fans who braved the weather at Brisbane Road were treated to an enthralling end-to-end battle, showcasing the attacking prowess often on display in this league.
Elisabeth Terland’s fine goal-scoring campaign resumed when she fired the visitors in front after 17 minutes, but Brighton’s defence was eventually breached by England’s cleverly executed volley late on.
Spurs concede first yet again
Vilahamn seemed unphased last week when asked about the worrying rate of games that his side are falling behind in.
He had reason not to fret after all, as the Lilywhites had done well to come back from losing positions in both their dramatic 2-1 win over Leicester in the FA Cup semi-final and in the draw with Manchester United in their most recent WSL fixture.
Though his comments were to be tested once more against Brighton, as Terland found the back of the net inside 20 minutes.
Spurs looked the more threatening in the opening stages, and full-back Charlie Grant could have even got on the scoresheet in her first start since February.
The Australian found herself one-on-one with Brighton’s keeper following an incisive break, but dragged her effort wide.
But Vilahamn was full of praise for the Australian, despite missing that glaring chance.
“Charlie brings a lot of energy,” he said. “She’s adapting from the Swedish league to this league, but I think she has taken big steps.
“That’s why I wanted to give her the chance to play because she trains so well.”
Despite conceding first, Vilahamn backed up his prior comments and maintained that he would prefer to see his side attack from the outset, even if that meant going behind.
“We want to be an attacking team at the beginning, and we are – we are creating chances,” he added.
“I’m not worried about [conceding first], but it is quite tough to go behind and chase the game.”
Though you do feel that Tottenham will want to get off on the right foot when they battle it out in their historic first FA Cup final a few weeks time.
FA Cup preparations not going to plan
After the draw with Brighton, Spurs have only a game against Everton before they head to Wembley.
But Vilahamn will need to see how he can rectify the issues his team showed today before May 12th.
They have never beaten United in their history and, even though they picked up a good draw against Marc Skinner’s side last time out, they showed a lack of ideas here at Brisbane Road.
The looked to be offset by a lot of Brighton’s attacks, while the attacks of their own struggled to pose a genuine threat.
Jessica Naz, usually a potent menace, looked out of sorts, and England was unable to create any danger when isolated on the wing.
England influential through the middle
It took until the 81st minute for England to have an effect on this game and it came when her and Naz swapped roles.
The Spurs captain looked dejected in the opening stages of the second period but came to life when substitutions led to a slight shift in role.
Naz started the game as a centre forward but was starved of the ball, while England was operating as a right winger.
She had an opportunity to cut in and shoot on a couple of occasions but didn’t cause problems until she moved inwards.
It was not until then when England managed to involve the wide players and midfielders far better, levelling Spurs with a looping touch that beat Melina Loeck.
She nearly won it even later on, forcing Loeck to flick her effort from distance onto the crossbar, and now Vilahamn is left to find the best way to get the best out of his two forwards.
“We have the freedom for Beth to step in as a second striker and be in the box as well,” he said.
“Some parts worked well, some didn’t, but Beth had a great game and she scored a beautiful goal in the end.
“I want to have Bethany on the pitch because she is a great character, leader and footballer.
“We move around quite a bit in the offensive three, so it’s not like she is stuck in a position – she has the freedom.”
Terland poised for a big summer move?
As for struggling Brighton, it was a tale that mirrored the majority of their outings this campaign.
Terland found the back of the net once again in what is turning out to be a marked improvement during her second full season in the WSL, taking her tally to 13.
Though all the hard work done throughout the game was all for just a point.
The Norwegian’s efficiency in front of goal has come with minimal reward this season as the defensive unit has often lacked the stability to back up her work.
Brighton kept Spurs at bay throughout the contest, but buckled under the pressure that Spurs’ substitutions posed with their fresh legs.
It was Ashleigh Neville who came on at right-back to send a teasing cross into England who found the composure to loop the ball in for the equaliser.
Terland, who is one goal away from doubling her WSL tally of last term, will no doubt be sought after as this campaign draws to a close.
She is joint second for WSL goals this season behind just Khadija Shaw, who is on the verge of steering Man City to their first league title since 2014.
Feature image credit: James Boyes / Wikimedia Commons licenced under CC BY 2.0 DEED
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