Tottenham Hotspur Women's manager Rehanne Skinner hailed her side’s newfound clinical rotation in their 5-1 victory over Coventry United in the FA Women’s Cup on Sunday and believes the performance places her team in good stead for a return to the Women’s Super League after a disappointing defeat to Chelsea.
Goals from Eveliina Summanen, Rosella Ayane, Kerys Harrop, Amy Turner and debutante Lenna Gunning-Williams helped to seal a dominant performance and extend Spurs’ perfect cup run to top Group E with six points from six.
The rotational depth was on full display, with Skinner making four changes to the side that began last weekend’s loss to Chelsea in Chioma Ubogagu, Rosella Ayane, Kerys Harrop and Gracie Pearse for Shelina Zadorsky, Asmita Ale, Celin Bizet and Ashleigh Neville. Harrop’s start marked a first return in seven months due to injury, while Pearse was relishing a first start in a Spurs shirt.
Meanwhile academy trio Ella Houghton, Gunning-Williams and Kayleigh Stead were named on the bench for the first time.
The level of player depth afforded Skinner on Sunday, while not as vast as what the Spurs boss ultimately desires, was a far cry from the lightweight availability various injuries have forced the squad to wrangle with this season. Against Chelsea’s embarrassment of riches, Skinner’s ranks risked feeling nearly threadbare, and the impact such a relentless calendar of matches threatened to show.
But against Coventry, Skinner was offered a taste of what such generous rotation might breed further down the line as she alternated her squad comfortably and to great effect, with Gunning-Williams' first goal in her first appearance aptly culminating the goal flurry.
“I’m delighted with the players and the rotation that we’ve had in the squad,” she told the Spurs media team after the victory. “All of that has enabled us to get a really good result. Some great goals today. Obviously a goal for Lenna on her first official debut so just some really good positives from the game that we want to take forward.”
The Spurs boss added: “I don’t think we’re quite at the stage where everyone is available for 90 minutes but we’re getting much closer with the squad. There’s been challenges in terms of availability for players, but obviously the squad has done its absolute best in those games and I think when we have everyone available we can do even more in those situations.
"So I think it’d be nice when we have consistency for that and we can start to be able to push on a little bit more.”
Returning to the competitive fray for the first time since May, Harrop praised the academy players’ for maintaining the intensity that the team set out to establish early on against Coventry.
“I think games like that you can always lower your own tempo and intensity to match their level really, so that was a key focus for us was to keep our intensity as high as normal,” said Harrop, who celebrated her return with a goal and an assist. “I think particularly in the first half that showed and even when the subs came on, we tried to maintain that throughout. So really pleased that we were able to do that and dominate the ball.”
Skinner echoed Harrop’s sentiments, adding that she believes the victory, while conducive to confidence after the disappointing defeat to Chelsea, also bodes well for the squad’s direction in what will be a hectic run of games before Christmas.
“I think the biggest thing out of today, obviously wins are very important so that helps confidence, helps build some momentum, but I think the biggest thing today was in terms of getting the squad in the best possible place as well and carrying on in this Conti Cup group and trying to have a good Cup run,” Skinner said.
“So it’s helped us to keep chipping away at the group. Going forward to next week, we want to be fully focused on the league. We want to make sure we do things really well week in and week out so I think it’s put us in a much better position for preparation for that.”
Spurs return to WSL action on December 4th when they travel to Reading.
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