Spurs 2, Liverpool FC Women 3: Resilient Reds Find A Way To First WSL Win

Today at 12:30 PM

A look back at the key moments in Liverpool's first win of the season over Spurs.

Spurs X - Y Liverpool

Spurs: Hinds (OG) 54', Bonner (OG) 83'

Liverpool: Kapocs 10'; Höbinger 75', 90+5' (pen)

Pre-Match

Liverpool are on the road again while they search for their first win of the season as they head to London to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Matt Beard has seen his side squander away a lead in the first two matches of WSL play, dropping to a draw in both.

The Reds enter the match shorthanded. Grace Fisk and Teagan Micah remain absent through injury, but both are expected back in training shortly. Ceri Holland misses out through a foot injury while Zara Shaw and Eva Spencer are away with the England U17 national team. With both Teagan Micah and Eva Spencer missing, there is no official reserve goalkeeper on the bench. Jenna Clark is also dropped to the bench after dealing with calf tightness.

With all of the injuries and absences, Beard elects to start off with a 4-3-3 formation. Cornelia Kapocs her first WSL start for the Reds in an attacking role, and Sofie Lundgaard steps into a starting role in place of Ceri Holland in midfield.

First Half

Liverpool look to get out of the blocks early as Taylor Hinds plays a ball down the line for Cornelia Kapocs. The Swede gets to the end line and carries it into the box before it is poked out for a corner in the first minute. The set piece finds the head of Jasmine Matthews, but she can only put it wide.

Olivia Smith is looking to build on her hot start to her Liverpool career. She receives a ball from Fuka Nagano and surges forwards towards the top of the box. She fizzes a low, hard shot that goes just wide of the far post.

GOAL LIVERPOOL!!!! It's Cornelia Kapocs with her first tally for the Reds! Spurs goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer plays a poor ball directly to Kapocs after being pressured by Sophie Roman-Haug. The Swedish attacker takes a touch and immediately launches a ball over the head of Spencer, leaving the keeper stranded off her line as she watches if fly into the back of the net in the 10th minute.

It's another early goal for Liverpool, now we have to see if they can keep going and close a match out. Sofie Lundgaard does her best to quickly double the lead after taking down a ball over the top, but her shot goes just wide.

Liverpool are forced into a defensive shell midway through the first half, and Gemma Bonner takes a bit of a knock after seeing a ball out and being run into the advertising boards. While she limps back on, Spurs goalkeeper Spencer Evans goes down on the other end and has to have her knee seen to. Both players seem fit to carry on for the moment at least.

Oh my, Liverpool are again a whisker away from doubling their lead. Olivia Smith races down the right wing and carries the ball deep into the box. She takes a shot from a tight angle, but it takes a slight deflection and goes just past the far post. The corner kick is sent in and headed towards goal, but Spencer makes a fantastic save to keep the ball out.

Big concern for the Reds now as Sofie Lundgaard goes down in significant pain. The training staff are looking at her left knee. Lundgaard has to be helped off and Liverpool are forced into a change. With no regular central midfielders on the bench, Gemma Evans comes on. It looks like Evans will slot into central defense while Jasmine Matthews steps forward into a holding midfield role, and Fuka Nagano will play more of a box to box role.

Olivia Smith is causing all sorts of problems for Spurs. She brilliantly takes down a ball as it comes over her head and then again drives forward into space down the right channel. She cuts inside on her left and gets a shot off from the top of the box, but her toe catches the turf and doesn't make clean contact. Smith stays down for a moment in pain.

Gemma Bonner goes down shortly after play resumes after challenging for a header. Looks like she caught the top of the head to her cheek as both players challenged for the ball. Completely incidental contact, but it still hurts.

Another Liverpool player down a minute later, this time Jasmine Matthews. She takes a hard cross directly in the chest and looks to have the wind knocked out of her. Spurs fans want a hand ball in the box, but the replay shows she was hit in the center of her chest. Liverpool win the ball and put it out of play to give Matthews a moment to recover.

There are seven minutes of extra time at the end of the first half. Liverpool are pressing high up the pitch here late, looking to force their way to a second goal. They can't find a way through after a couple of chances, and Spurs are the ones who earn a couple of late corner kicks. Liverpool do well to clear their lines and don't allow a shot as the first half ends with the Reds up 1-0. As we've seen before, Liverpool play well and take an early lead, but fail to capitalize on additional chances as the half wears on. Now we have to see if Liverpool can hang on in the second half.

Second Half

Liverpool with the first chance of the half. Jasmine Matthews plays a nice ball forward for Olivia Smith, and the young Canadian again drives forward into the box. She elects to drive a ball on target, and it is palmed over the bar for a corner kick. Liverpool earn a second corner after the first is put behind, and Gemma Bonner heads the ball towards the net. A defender does just enough do deflect it onto the post and it comes back out. So close to a second for Liverpool there.

Goal Spurs. Directly after the corner kick sequence, Tottenham come forward down the pitch. Jess Naz beats Gemma Evans to the end line and drives a low ball across the face of goal. Taylor Hinds tries to deflect it behind for a corner rather than leaving it for Laws and redirects the ball into her own net.

Liverpool are a bit of a mess now. Taylor Hinds with a terrible give away in her own half leads to a Spurs corner. The ball in skims the head of Gemma Bonner and just misses going in for a second own goal. Rachael Laws is then forced to make a save from close range a minute later after defenders lose their marks in the box. Laws stays down needing treatment for her knee.

Matt Beard makes a couple of changes while Laws is seen to. Jenna Clark and Mia Enderby come on in place of Jasmine Matthews and Cornelia Kapocs. It looks like Liverpool will go with three center backs now and jus two in midfield.

Mia Enderby immediately gets involved. She has some nice quick interplay on the left wing before twisting and turning away from a defender and getting into the box. Her low ball in is cut out, but a needed spark there.

Olivia Smith again comes close to scoring. Fuka Nagano starts the sequence with a great revers ball for Sophie Roman Haug, who is just able to touch it wide to Smith. The attacker again drives in towards goal and unleashes a shot, but a defender did just enough to force her to rush and the shot hit the side netting.

Gemma Bonner goes in the book with a yellow card after conceding a free kick at the edge of the Liverpool box. She slid in out of control and took out Haley Rasso, so not much to complain about. Thankfully the set piece opportunity is sent well over the crossbar.

Liverpool get forward again, with Sophie Roman Haug flicking the ball on for Olivia Smith. This time Smith is fouled near the top of the box, with Clare Hunt being shown a yellow card for the foul. Leanne Kiernan had already been readied to come an, and she replaces the impressive Smith.

GOAL LIVERPOOL!!!! Marie Höbinger lines up the free kick and delivers and absolute peach into the top corner. What a wonderful strike to give Liverpool the lead!

Another yellow for Spurs, this time to Martha Thomas for a challenge on Mia Enderby. Didn't look like much in it, but her arm did come up a bit during the challenge and catch Enderby in the head.

Jess Naz again causes Liverpool trouble down the Spurs right flank. She beats Taylor Hinds and plays and early ball in that bounces just in front of Rachael Laws with an attacker sliding in. Laws manages to block the ball clear, and then catches the follow up cross and holds it.

HUGE SAVE RACHAEL LAWS! Jess Naz races free and bears down on goal. Laws comes out and makes herself big and manages to palm the ball away for a corner. Laws gets up and punches the ball in clear.

Goal Spurs, and it's another own goal. Liverpool fail to fully clear several times, allowing Spurs to keep getting the ball into the box. Clare Hunt rolls Gemma Evans to get free at the edge of the box and drives a ball inside. It deflects off the shins of Gemma Bonner and past Rachael Laws to even the score.

Big clash of heads now with Jenna Clark and Hayley Raso as they both challenge for a header. Both players receive treatment and are cleared to continue.

Spurs immediately on the attack, with Bethany England almost finding a way through. Thankfully there isn't clean contact and Laws can gather the weak shot from close range.

Seven minutes of added time announced as Spurs have another corner. The ball comes out to Raso on the far side and she unleashes a shot, but it takes a deflection and goes wide. The follow up corner drops to Bethany England, and she volleys it just wide of the far post.

Liverpool make a foray forward in search of a winner. Fuka Nagano touches it wide to Taylor Hinds, but the ball in from the wing back is comfortably gathered by the goalkeeper.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Leanne Kiernan plays a great cross in for Sophie Roman Haug, and the Norwegian striker is bundled over.

GOAL LIVERPOOL! Marie Höbinger steps up to take the spot kick. Spencer dives the right way and gets a hand to it, but Höbinger put enough power on the shot that it still goes in to give the Reds a 3-2 lead in the 95th minute!

Lucy Parry takes a ball to the face on the defensive end as Liverpool look to hold on for the win. Play is stopped momentarily as the clock ticks past the 97 minute mark.

Mia Enderby and Leanne Kiernan both manage to put balls forward to break pressure. Liverpool defenders now just hitting the ball wherever they can to put it away from their goal.

And there it is, the referee blows for full time!

Final Thoughts

Liverpool FINALLY get their first win of the season after a topsy-turvy match. As we have seen previously, the Reds were far and away the better side in the first half, but were not able to capitalize on chances after scoring the opener. Spurs forced Liverpool into two own goals in the second half, but Marie Höbinger twice gave Liverpool the lead, the second time for good, from set pieces.

Liverpool will return home to host high flying Manchester City next Sunday at Anfield. Matt Beard will have a big worry on his hands in midfield with both Ceri Holland and most likely Sofie Lundgaard missing.