Martin Ho says Tottenham Hotspur Women lacked a cutting edge in the Players Cup opener
After a goalless draw and a shootout defeat to West Ham Women, Martin Ho said his Tottenham Hotspur Women side reached good positions without finishing, and praised a debut in goal.
News desk2 min read
Tottenham Hotspur Women drew 0-0 with West Ham Women at Brisbane Road on 23 September and then lost the shootout, and Martin Ho’s assessment afterwards came down to a missing final touch.
What he made of the ninety minutes
Ho said the opening half never settled into a rhythm and that his team held the ball only in spells, though their pressing caused problems whenever it was properly organised.
He was blunter about the finishing. “We just lacked the cutting edge in front of goal”, he said, adding that his players were not winning enough of the first contacts when crosses came in.
The second half brought substitutions to freshen the side and a longer spell in the opposition half, and Ho said “We came out a lot better in the second half”. What came of it was the night’s frustration: “We had some really good opportunities and got into good positions”, he said, and the chances went unconverted, with a shot against the post.
A goalkeeper on debut
Selma Panengstuen kept a clean sheet in normal time on her first appearance for the club, made a number of important saves, and stopped one of West Ham’s penalties in the shootout.
Ho’s praise was unreserved. He said “She did wonderfully well”, picking out her composure on the ball and her handling of crosses, and came back to the shootout: “She made the penalty save in the shootout”.
The side he picked
Nine changes were made from the team that started against Crystal Palace at the weekend, with only Amanda Nilden and Olivia Holdt keeping their places. Panengstuen came in for a first appearance after joining from SK Brann in the summer, Alice Sombath made a first full start, and Hanna Wijk and Ella Morris took the full-back places.
Shekiera Martinez was given a first start of the campaign, having scored at the weekend. She hit the post in normal time.
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“We just lacked the cutting edge in front of goal”
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StraitScore Desk
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