Bethany England’s late penalty secured a 1-0 victory for Tottenham over West Ham in their WSL season opener, marking a successful start for new manager Martin Ho. The game was tightly contested, with few clear chances, but Garry’s foul on Summanen allowed England to score the winning goal. Ho praised his team’s improved confidence and determination, while Skinner lamented West Ham’s missed opportunities and Szemik’s injury.
Martin Ho celebrated his debut as Tottenham manager with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over West Ham in their Women's Super League (WSL) season opener. A late penalty, expertly converted by Bethany England, proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested match at Brisbane Road.
The game, for significant stretches, appeared destined for a goalless stalemate. Both goalkeepers were relatively untroubled for much of the afternoon, with clear-cut chances few and far between. However, with just four minutes remaining on the clock, Katrina Garry's foul on Eveliina Summanen inside the penalty area presented Tottenham with a golden opportunity to snatch all three points.
Bethany England, the experienced England international, stepped up to take the responsibility, calmly dispatching her spot-kick into the bottom right corner, sending the Tottenham fans into raptures. The goal not only secured a vital win for Spurs but also marked a promising start to the Ho era.
Speaking after the game, Martin Ho expressed his delight with his team's performance, particularly highlighting their improved confidence and belief compared to last season. "The players are speaking to each other [saying]: ‘We’ve missed this feeling, we want this feeling more,’” Ho revealed. “They were completely rock bottom, if we’re going to be honest, in terms of confidence and belief. They were a shadow of themselves. Seeing them today now, it’s a totally different team in terms of the confidence, the belief, the energy and the enthusiasm.”
Ho acknowledged that his side controlled possession for large parts of the game and showed promise in the final third, but admitted there was room for improvement in terms of creativity and killer instinct in the penalty area. Despite the win, Ho emphasized the need for continued development and refinement of their attacking play.
West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner was left to rue her side's missed opportunities, particularly Seraina Piubel's volley early in the second half. Skinner also bemoaned the injury to goalkeeper Kinga Szemik, who was forced off with an ankle problem after a collision while preventing a cross. Megan Walsh replaced Szemik in goal and, despite getting a hand to England's penalty, couldn't keep it out.
“Overall, I thought we played really well, stuck to the game plan and exploited their right-hand side,” Skinner reflected. “We created good opportunities. I don’t think our final ball was as good as it could have been in the first half, but we’ve limited them [Spurs] to one shot on target, which comes from the penalty spot, so by the nature of it, it’s disappointing to not get something out of the game on that basis.”
The victory provides Tottenham with a welcome boost after a disappointing previous campaign, where they finished in 11th place. The appointment of Martin Ho is seen as a statement of intent by the club, who are determined to challenge for a top-half finish this season.
It is understood that Spurs were impressed by the detail that Ho showed in his interview presentation. They wanted a coach who is obsessive and they believe they have found one. They are understood also to have received very strong personal recommendations for the former Manchester United assistant coach, including a glowing character reference from the former United manager Casey Stoney.
The Tottenham coach said: “The grit, the determination, the willingness; you could see how hard they wanted that result. That’s what got us over the line, that little bit of edge we had over them. The conviction in how we defended, and how aggressive we wanted to be. I thought they were trying to do the right things. We know there are so many areas for us to be better and we will be.
“You always want to start with a win, but for me personally it means a lot. You don’t have a lot of time to implement a lot of things in five weeks and I think we’ve done as much as we can, and now I’m more happy for the players. I’m only the coach; they do the work.”
Looking ahead, West Ham face a tough test against Arsenal on Friday, while Tottenham travel to Everton on Sunday, aiming to build on their winning start under their new manager.
