Rehanne Skinner is delighted with Tottenham’s highest ever Barclays FA WSL finish, but has challenged her players to do even better than fifth next season.
The North Londoners finished off an encouraging season with a 1-0 home win against Leicester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Ash Neville’s second-half header proving decisive.
The result confirmed Spurs’ highest ever WSL finish but Skinner’s next target is to mount a top-four push and mix it with the likes of champions Chelsea and rivals Arsenal.
"I’m so proud of the players and everything we’ve achieved over the course of this season," Skinner said.
"It’s been tough work, we’ve had a lot of things to learn. The team have gelled together so well over the course of the year. To finish with three points in the Hotspur Stadium is a great way to finish a really good season for us.
"They [the players] have bought into the vision, they’ve bought into what we’re trying to do here as a football team.
"It’s got us some fantastic results, it’s upset a few people along the way, which has been great. We got ourselves in and around the top three for large chunks of the season.
"It’s all down to the work they put in and the investment they put into the team on a daily basis."
Spurs had not won in the league since February 13 and it took 10 minutes for the first chance of the match. Neville was played through, but her shot was well parried by Demi Lambourne, while the referee waved away two Spurs claims in five minutes, first when Lambourne looked to have handled outside the area, and then a penalty shout when Rosella Ayane was brought down in the 37th minute.
Kerys Harrop clipped the outside of the post with an audacious shot from range three minutes before half-time but the breakthrough came in the 49th minute, Neville rising highest at the back post to head Jess Naz’s cross down so it bounced past Lambourne.
Spurs should have doubled their advantage in the 66th minute, but Molly Bartrip’s fizzling shot flew just over the crossbar, but it mattered little as the hosts saw the game out.
"We have high aspirations and we want to keep progressing the team," Skinner added.
"It was about finishing higher than what we did. It’s a fantastic achievement for everyone, on the pitch, off the pitch, the whole club. I’m grateful for the support from the board and the chairman. It’s been a massive team effort."
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