Tottenham boss Robert Vilahamn said it is a “wonderful feeling” to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s FA Cup for the first time after coming from behind to beat Manchester City on penalties.
Amy James-Turner scored the winning penalty as Spurs won the shootout 4-3, with goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer saving two of City’s spot-kicks.
“I think we deserved it,” Vilahamn told the club website. “The game tonight is amazing, all the players coming in, you could feel it.”
City had taken a sixth-minute lead through Mary Fowler in a controlled performance at Brisbane Road, the Australia forward collecting a Khadija Shaw pass before sending a deflected shot past Spencer.
Going ahead so early made the game comfortable for City, who deployed slick passing moves to work through Tottenham’s defence as they looked to extend their advantage.
Yet they failed to do so and were punished when Bethany England forced the game into extra time in the sixth minute of added time, rolling the ball into an empty net after a defensive mix-up saw keeper Khiara Keating fail to complete a routine clearance.
With Spurs inspired by their last-gasp equaliser, they had the better opportunities to win before penalties decided the outcome, and Tottenham secured a historic last-four appearance in the competition.
“When we scored to make it 1-1 in the last second, we deserved that. It’s a wonderful feeling,” added Vilahamn.
“Second half, we took over the game and we went for it. Scoring in the last second is an even better feeling.
“I’m very proud of the girls because they’ve shown that we can not only compete [with], we actually beat the top three teams. That’s really nice to see.”
City’s defeat was further soured by the enforced substitution of Women’s Super League top scorer Shaw, who went off in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury.
Final-four newcomers Tottenham join Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester in the semi-final draw, which takes place at around 08:20 GMT on Tuesday during BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
City architects of their own downfall
Manchester City did not make the most of their domination of the ball or having more shots than Spurs, and were made to pay.
City boss Gareth Taylor said his side “didn’t really deserve to win.”
He told the club website: “It was just a little bit flat. After that first 20-25 minutes, we should be looking to go and get more after that.
“In the second half we couldn’t patch anything together at all. I’ve always spoken [of] performance being the key to potentially getting victories but I didn’t think we deserved it enough today and that’s the disappointing thing.”
Fowler looked set to score another soon after her opener, but a volleyed effort bounced into the ground and was caught by Spencer.
Others toiled to find a second, with Shaw firing wide when she met a hooked Filippa Angeldahl cross at the near post and City entered the break with only a slim lead.
City remained firmly on top at the start of the second half and looked more likely to score again, with Shaw agonisingly heading a Leila Ouahabi cross over the bar from six yards.
The potential loss of Shaw – who has scored 15 times in 14 league games this season – to injury could be a significant blow to City’s WSL title challenge.
They were architects of their own downfall as they allowed Tottenham a late leveller, Keating and Laia Aleixandri miscommunicating and leaving the ball completely free for England to score.
Spurs lacked an end product and City produced few clear-cut chances in the extra period, and neither side was able to avoid a penalty shootout.
England nearly snatched victory for Spurs when she met a floated cross inside the box, but headed over.
Tottenham’s success meant City have failed to progress from the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history.
Line-ups
Tottenham Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 22Spencer
- 29Neville
- 4James-Turner
- 21Bühler
- 6Nildén
- 25SummanenSubstituted forWangat 85′minutes
- 20AhtinenSubstituted forGrahamat 61′minutesBooked at 66mins
- 8Clinton
- 14Bizet IldhusøyBooked at 20minsSubstituted forVinbergat 85′minutes
- 17ThomasSubstituted forEnglandat 76′minutes
- 7NazSubstituted forAyaneat 61′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Votíková
- 2Grant
- 9England
- 11Petzelberger
- 13Vinberg
- 16Graham
- 23Ayane
- 77Wang
Man City Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 35Keating
- 18Casparij
- 4Aleixandri
- 5GreenwoodBooked at 78mins
- 15OuahabiBooked at 55minsSubstituted forMorganat 72′minutes
- 12Angeldahl
- 25Hasegawa
- 16ParkSubstituted forKellyat 90′minutes
- 8Fowler
- 21ShawSubstituted forCoombsat 70′minutes
- 11HempBooked at 98mins
Substitutes
- 3Stokes
- 6Houghton
- 7Coombs
- 9Kelly
- 14Morgan
- 22MacIver
- 30Mace
- 33Kennedy
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(4), Manchester City Women 1(3).
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Penalty Shootout ends, Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(4), Manchester City Women 1(3).
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(4), Manchester City Women 1(3). Amy James-Turner (Tottenham Hotspur Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(3), Manchester City Women 1(3). Mary Fowler (Manchester City Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(3), Manchester City Women 1(2). Wang Shuang (Tottenham Hotspur Women) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(2), Manchester City Women 1(2). Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(2), Manchester City Women 1(1). Amanda Nildén (Tottenham Hotspur Women) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(1), Manchester City Women 1(1). Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty saved. Rosella Ayane (Tottenham Hotspur Women) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
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Penalty saved. Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
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Goal! Tottenham Hotspur Women 1(1), Manchester City Women 1. Bethany England (Tottenham Hotspur Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty saved. Alex Greenwood (Manchester City Women) left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
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Penalty Shootout begins Tottenham Hotspur Women 1, Manchester City Women 1.
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Second Half Extra Time ends, Tottenham Hotspur Women 1, Manchester City Women 1.
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Hand ball by Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women).
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Attempt missed. Wang Shuang (Tottenham Hotspur Women) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
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Foul by Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City Women).
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Rosella Ayane (Tottenham Hotspur Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Bethany England (Tottenham Hotspur Women) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
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Chloe Kelly (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
