Bunny Shaw continued her magnificent scoring form as she hit a brace to see Manchester City to a 3-0 win over Tottenham at Brisbane Road on Saturday.
The City striker took her WSL tally to five for the season with her double either side of half time, while Lauren Hemp was also on the scoresheet with a terrific solo effort.
The game was marred by an injury suffered by Ellie Brazil after just two minutes. Making her first WSL start for the club, the summer signing was stretched off with her left leg in a brace following a 50:50 challenge with Ellie Roebuck.
In an open game with a high possession turnover, Esme Morgan and Lauren Hemp both came close to giving the visitors a first half lead with efforts that inched wide of the post, while Deyna Castellanos stung the balms of Becky Spencer with a drive from range.
City continued to press from the opener but weren’t having it all their own way. Spurs looked dangerous when they won the ball back in high areas and on the break; a spirited recovery run from Castellanos prevented a potentially dangerous Spurs counter attack, spearheaded by Jess Naz, from materialising.
Yui Hasegawa saw a strike from the edge of the area deflect narrowly wide as the first half entered its final five minutes. From the resulting corner, Shaw powered home Chloe Kelly’s delivery to give City the lead.
Spurs attempted to level before the break; Neville saw a half volley from close range fly just over and Naz flashed a delivery across the face of goal after getting the wrong side of Morgan.
City doubled their advantage two minutes into the second half, Shaw at it again as she found the bottom corner with a low drive from outside the area.
Shaw twice came close to completing her hat-trick; the City forward was prevented from poking Kerstin Casparij’s cross into an empty net by an important Molly Bartrip interception, before sending an effort just wide of the post after being picked out by Laura Coombs.
Drew Spence came close to halving the deficit after firing over from the edge of the box, before Hemp put the game beyond doubt 14 minutes from time. The City winger weaved magnificently into the Spurs box, before arrowing the ball into the bottom corner to wrap up all three points for Gareth Taylor’s side.
GK: Becky Spencer – 6/10 – Comfortably held a Hemp header inside two minutes and stretched to palm away a stinging Castellanos effort. Great composure in the second half to turn past Shaw in her own box.
RB: Amy Turner – 5/10 – Had a fascinating battle with Hemp, occasionally beaten by her pace but matching her in the physical battle – before being turned inside out for City’s third.
CB: Molly Bartrip – 6/10 – Made an important first half intervention to block a Kelly cross from the byline, and a second big interception to cut out a Casparij cross in the second half, with Shaw waiting to poke into an empty net.
CB: Shelina Zadorsky – 5/10 – Not quite out quick enough to close down Shaw for City’s second.
LB: Asmita Ale – 5/10 – Deflected a Kelly effort over in the second half, had a tough afternoon up against the dynamic City right flank of Kelly and Casparij.
CM: Angharad James – 6/10 – Tidy in possession and resilient defensively.
CM: Eveliina Summanen – 5/10 – Lost track of the run of Shaw for City’s opener. Tidy in possession.
RW: Celin Bizet – 5/10 – Largely kept quiet and unable to have a telling attacking impact on proceedings
AM: Drew Spence – 6/10 – Opened up play with a magnificent flick as were Spurs almost sent clean through on goal in the opening exchanges. Fired narrowly over from the edge of the box in the second half.
LW: Ashleigh Neville – 6/10 – Fired a half volley narrowly over on the cusp of half time and won the ball back high up on a few occasions in dangerous areas for Spurs.
ST: Ellie Brazil – N/A – Making her first WSL start for Spurs, heartbreakingly stretchered off with her left leg in a brace after just six minutes following a 50:50 challenge with Roebuck.
SUB Jess Naz (6′ for Brazil) – 6/10
SUB: Nikola Karczewska (83′ for Bizet) – 5/10
SUB: Chioma Ubogagu (83′ for Neville) – 5/10
GK: Ellie Roebuck – 6/10 – Almost caught out by Brazil inside the opening exchanges after attempting to wait for the ball to run back into her box. Otherwise typically calm.
RB: Kerstin Casparij – 7/10 – Looked good going forward, beating Ale for pace in the second half and almost putting it on a plate for Shaw. Occasionally dispossessed near her own box and fortunate to not be punished by Spurs in the first half, but made an important clearance to keep out a Neville cross in the second.
CB: Laia Aleixandri – 6/10 – Swept up really effectively at the back on a few occasions
CB: Alex Greenwood – 6/10 – Steady and dependable
LB: Esme Morgan – 7/10 – Glanced a header from a free kick narrowly wide in the first half. Neat and tidy, combined particularly well with Hemp. Frequently floated into a central midfield role when City were in possession on the right.
CM: Yui Hasegawa – 7/10 – Energetic and classy, always looking to get on the ball. Won the corner from which City opened the scoring with a strike that deflect narrowly wide
CM: Deyna Castellanos – 7/10 – Stung the palms of Spencer with a low drive from range in the first half. Made a terrific recovery run to win the ball off a marauding Naz and halt a potentially dangerous Spurs attack.
CM: Laura Coombs – 6/10 – Energetic and box to box. Almost teed Shaw up for her hat-trick in the second half.
RW: Chloe Kelly – 7/10 – Provided the set piece delivery from which City opened the scoring. Sent in a number of dangerous crosses and combined well with Casparij. Fired just wide in the latter stages after a strong run.
ST: Bunny Shaw – 9/10 – Headed City into the lead on the stroke of half time, giving Summanen the slip and powering home from a corner, before adding a second with a superb low drive from range. Could have had a hat-trick but sent an effort just wide. Enjoying a fantastic scoring season.
LW: Lauren Hemp – 8/10 – Fired inches wide in the first half and got the better of Turner on a few occasions with a burst of pace. Scored a fabulous third for City with a great piece of skill to work the opportunity for herself, before finding the bottom corner.
SUB: Mary Fowler (80′ for Shaw) – 6/10
SUB: Vicky Losada (80′ for Coombs) – 6/10
SUB: Filippa Angeldahl (80′ for Castellanos) – 6/10
SUB: Leila Ouahabi (83′ for Casparij) – 6/10
SUB: Julie Blakstad (83′ for Hemp) – 6/10
Credit: 90min.com
