Rytting Kaneryd hits a brace as Chelsea overcome resilient Spurs 5-2 at Kingsmeadow
By Paul Lagan at Kingsmeadow
Chelsea 5 v Spurs 2
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd put on a five-star performance, snatching a brace in the process as unbeaten Chelsea hit five against a developing Spurs outfit tonight in the WSL at Kingsmeadow.
The winger was unplayable for most of the game and along with Maika Hamano, who opened the scoring thanks to Kaneryd secured a 100 per cent start for the west Londoners.
Rytting Kaneryd showed clinical finishing to match her speed and tenacity.
An own goal by Amanda Nilden, who levelled the scores at 1-1 put the Blue ahead at half-time.
It was a nervous opening 45 minutes for the champions, but they dominated the second and goals came from Rytting Kaneryd and Sandy Baltimore who popped up to slot home after Guro Reiten's penalty bounced off the post and went straight to the left back who made no mistake.
It took Chelsea 10 minutes to open the scoring.
And it was inspired by the Chelsea player of the season, so far, Rytting Kaneryd, who sizzled down the right wing, before cutting back the perfect byline pass to in-running Hamano who smashed a right-footer into the top right-hand corner of Becky Spencer's net.
Spurs piled on the pressure, and on 20 minutes equalised in bizarre fashion when a speculative, misplaced cross by Nilden caught Hannah Hampton unawares. She grappled for the goal-bound shot, stopped the ball which hit the line, but according to the lino, Harley Hetherington, the ball went over the line as Hampton tried to grab it again.
Referee Emily Heaslip took her cue from Hetherington and awarded a goal.
The visitors took control of the game and ex-Chelsea midfielder Drew Spence, was unlucky to see her curling right-footer from distance fade away from goal on 34 minutes.
Mayra Ramirez tried a trademark bull run through the defence on 37 minutes, but her effort was scuffed and the ball dropped easily to Spencer.
But the Blues got back in the game with a couple of minutes to go when Reiten whizzed the ball from
A corner to the near post and Nilden stretched for the ball and glanced the ball past a hapless Spencer.
Erin Cuthbert was replaced by Wieke Kaptein at the break.
Spurs continued to put the home side under pressure and the first goal-bound shot saw Spence bullet a right-footer on 57 minutes which Hampton pushed away expertly for a corner.
There followed a strong period of Chelsea possession which ended up with Reiten screwing her shot just wide of goal.
Spurs replaced England with Martha Thomas on 63 minutes.
The Blues needed to hit a third to cement their dominance and it came with a spectacular effort on 71 minutes when a deep Millie Bright shot was met on the volley deep on the far side by Rytting Kaneryd who cushioned the ball high and wide of Spencer.
Seconds later and she went on another long run, her cross was met on the hand of Clare Hunt and a penalty was awarded.
Up stepped Reiten who missed by hitting the upright but, Sandy Baltimore snatched the ball and coolly slotted home to make it 4-1.
Chelsea then brought on Aggie Beever-Jones for Ramirez who had a relatively quiet night. Baltimore was also replace by Ashley Lawrence – both on 78 minutes.
With seven minutes on the clock Finnish Eveliina Summanen scored directly from a free-kick to make it 4-2.
Kadeisha Buchanan, who was guilty of giving away the free-kick was replaced by Maelys Mpome as was Hamano who saw Oriane Jean-Francois gain some minutes.
There was no respite for Spurs as player of the match Rytting Kaneryd smashed home the fifth a minute into the five added at the end of the game.
Teams: Chelsea: Hampton, Bright, Skene, Ramirez, Cuthbert, Reiten, Baltimore, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze, Hamano, Buchanan
Subs: Musovic, Lawrence, Bjorn, :Perisset, Kaptein, Mpome, Jean-Francois, Bernabe, Beever-Jones
Spurs: Spencer, Bartrip, Nilden, Naz, England, Vinberg, Hunt, Ahtinen, Summanen, Neville
Subs: Talbert, Grant, Morris, Csiki, Thomas, Buhler, Dennis, Gunning-Williams, Pierre
Comments