Tottenham defender Kerys Harrop has revealed she "couldn't stop smiling" after scoring on her return from injury against Coventry United in the Continental Cup.
Harrop featured in the Lilywhites' starting XI for the first time this season as Spurs cruised to a 5-1 win at Brisbane Road on Sunday afternoon. Rehanne Skinner made four changes to the side that lost to Chelsea in the Women's Super League last weekend, with academy trio Ella Houghton, Lenna Gunning-Williams and Kayleigh Stead named in the matchday squad for the first time..
Reflecting on the performance, Harrop told club media: "Games like that you can always lower your own tempo and intensity to their level really so the key focus for us was to keep our intensity as high as normal.
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"I think, particularly in the first half, that showed and even when the subs came on we tried to maintain that throughout so I think we were really pleased we were able to do that and dominate the ball."
The hosts made a perfect start to the action at Brisbane Road, with Eveliina Summanen heading home from a corner to give Tottenham the lead inside six minutes. Rosella Ayane quickly made it two before Harrop added to Spurs' tally with a superb left-footed volley.
Looking back on her goal, Harrop said: "We’d practised it in training, that particular corner, so as I got free at the back I just kept my eye on the ball and hit it in. As it happened, I was thinking 'Rehanne will be happy with this because it’s exactly what we practised in training'."
Harrop signed for Tottenham in 2020 after two decades with Birmingham City. With more than 150 Women's Super League appearances under her belt, the 31-year-old is one of the league's most experienced players and she was delighted to make her return after a seven-month injury layoff.
"(I'm) buzzing," she said, "you can tell from my smile, I can’t stop smiling. It’s a long seven months really and it’s hard because you've got to work your way back into the team.
"I was given the opportunity today and I think I took it and obviously assisted and scored a goal so just got to keep working hard and hopefully back in the starting lineup as much as possible"
Sunday's result means Tottenham now sit top of Group E with two wins from two, and Harrop thinks the performance could give her side a boost heading into a tough run of games before Christmas.
She said. "We need that confidence boost after the Chelsea game. I think it was a quite difficult result to take so I think its just getting that confidence back and different goalscorers on the teamsheet I think it’s going to boost confidence going into some real crucial games now."
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