Spurs humbled in FA Cup final as Manchester United win 4-0 at Wembley Stadium
By Paul Lagan at Wembley Stadium
Manchester United 4 v Spurs 0
FA Cup final
76,082
Spurs were obliterated by a second-half onslaught as Manchester United ran riot to win their first Woman's FA Cup final in a near sell-out crowd of 76,082 at Wembley Stadium.
Ella Toone scored a wonder goal three minutes into added time in the first half and the north Londoners lost all confidence and belief as a result.
An early second-half header by ever-threatening Rachel Williams gave United breathing space and a howler of an error by goalkeeper Becky Spencer put the game beyond Spurs as Lucia Garcia tucked home the first of her brace.
Bethany England rattled the United crossbar, but in truth, Spurs were the architects of their own downfall, and United can claim a heap full of good fortune to go along with more decisive finishing.
Spurs started the brighter, the first effort, of sorts falling to Matilda Vinberg, but her shot went high over Mary Warps crossbar on two minutes.
Spencer was quick to react and block a close range effort by United's Leah Galton a minute later – both suffered knocks from their clash.
From the resultant Katie Zelem corner, Williams, at the far post, should have headed the ball, at least on goal, but nodded her effort over the crossbar instead.
Williams, again was virtually unchallenged from a corner on 14 minutes, this time she headed just wide of goal.
Vinberg reciprocated the effort two minutes later, as neither side could put the clinical edge to their goal-bound efforts.
It was Garcia's turn to head over from close range. But the challenge by Eveliina Summanen managed to put the United player off her stride on 18 minutes.
Spurs struggled from corners, and on 34 minutes Martha Thomas hacked off the line a header from Millie Turner's header.
In a game of mediocre in overall quality, the effort by Toone three minutes into to added time was out of character for the game, but a sensational goal.
United produced their best passing move of the game, which cut Spurs open.
The ball was passed to Toone, who still had much to do but taking the ball from the left of the edge of the Spurs area, she unleashed a venomous right-footed curler that ripped past Spencer and arrowed into the top left-hand corner of the net.
United made an early change, on came Melvine Malard, off went presumably injured Leah Galton.
Spurs opted to bring on two players – Celin Bizet and Shuang Wang, off went Vinberg and Naz.
But it made no difference other than to upset the Spurs shape as United hit goal number two with Williams finally getting a header on target and it came from a deep free-kick.
Disaster struck for the north Londoners three minutes later when a horror of a clearance by Spencer went all of 10 feet straight to Garcia, who had the easiest task in the world of slotting home into an empty net on 57 minutes.
Ex-Chelsea striker Beth England was unlucky to see her close-range header smack off the crossbar on 65 minutes as Spurs sought some sort of consolation
More replacements for Spurs were made – on came Charlotte Grant, Kit Graham, and Rosella Ayane – off went Summanen, Thomas, and Amanda Nilden.
Spencer redeemed herself somewhat with 18 minutes left with a fine blocked save from Malard at her near post.
It seemed United would score at every opportunity and number four came on 75 minutes when Garcia managed to latch onto a tap back and smashed home from 10 yards out.
With the game won, Marc Skinner brought off Garcia, Toone and Riviere, on came for Geyse, Hinata Miyazawa, and Aoife Mannion.
With the Spurs end of the stadium thinning out, so did the chances on the pitch and even six minutes of added time did nothing but serve as agony for Spurs while the United players soaked up the unique feeling of winning a cup final at the home of English football.
Teams: Man Utd: Earps, Le Tissier, Blundell, Toone, Zelem, Galton, Riviere, Naalsund, Garcia, Turner, Williams
Subs: Tullis-Joyce, Mannion, Guerrero, Malard, Ladd, Evans, Miyazawa, Parris, Ferreira
Spurs: Spencer, James- Turner, Nilden, Naz, England, Vinberg, Thomas, Buhler, Spence, Summanen, Neville
Subs: Votikova, Grant, Bartrip, Petzelberger, Bizet, Graham, Ahtinen, Ayane, Wang
Referee: Abi Byrne
Quite frankly there is little difference between the Spurs men and the Spurs ladies as with either you can be virtually guaranteed they will be embarrassingly humiliated . It continues to appear that it is in the Club player's DNA and never changes regardless of who plays for them or who manages them.
One is also inclined to wonder if the team talk to the United players pre match consisted of "Don't worry Ladies ,it is only Tottenham we are playing "