Goals from Chloe Logarzo, Siri Worm, Ashleigh Neville and Ebony Salmon meant that Bristol City and Tottenham shared the points in an entertaining and dramatic two-two draw between the WSL’s bottom two teams.
The final game of the first day of Women’s Football Weekend featured the two sides at the bottom of the WSL, both desperately searching for their first wins of the season.
This game would mark Alex Morgan’s first WSL start and she started promisingly, constantly pressuring the Bristol centre-halves.
In the early stages of the match, Tottenham enjoyed the majority of the possession as Bristol City were content to back off and threaten Spurs to try to break them down as opposed to pressing and potentially leaving themselves open at the back.
Despite the possession, Tottenham struggled to create chances, which is unsurprising considering coming into this game, Tottenham were the only team in the league that haven’t scored a goal from open play. They have scored four goals this season, all from corners.
Tottenham would be punished for their wastefulness in front of goal as Siri Worm brought down Ebony Salmon in the box and the referee pointed straight to the spot.
Chloe Logarzo would make no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Becky Spencer the wrong way and converting for Bristol’s third goal of the season.
Worm would make amends five minutes later as Tottenham were awarded a free kick wide out on the right wing and Worm would curl the ball into the far post past Sophie Baggaley to level the score going into halftime.
Tottenham manager Karen Hills would make a change at halftime, replacing Alex Morgan with Rianna Dean.
The early stages of the second half played out much like the first, Tottenham primarily threatening to score from set pieces and Bristol stifling and frustrating the visitors in open play.
Tottenham’s comfort in set pieces is exactly what would give them the lead. Just past the hour mark, Worm would whip in another free kick that this time was met by the head of Ashleigh Neville, who put it past Baggaley for her second goal in as many games.
With twenty minutes to play, Bristol City had a chance to equalise as Emma Bissell forced a mistake and had two tries at beating Becky Spencer from an angle but the Spurs keeper covered her near post well.
Soon after, both sides would suffer a knock as a loose ball caused a nasty collision between substitute Rianna Dean and Sophie Baggaley, both women looked in quite a bit of discomfort and there was a lengthy stoppage, one of many in the second half due to various injuries.
While it was not clear during the stoppage, Dean was issued a straight red card for the collision.
With less than ten minutes of the ninety to play, Tottenham came inches away from putting the game beyond Bristol as yet another free kick from Worm was struck well.
The ball sailed over the head of Baggaley, rattled the underside of the crossbar and somehow stayed out as Baggaley recovered and smothered the ball away from the Spurs players chasing the rebound.
Due to all of the injury stoppages, the game would be issued seven minutes of stoppage time and two minutes into the seven, Bristol City would equalise through star player Ebony Salmon as a long ball soared over the Tottenham back line and Salmon would latch onto the pass and finish emphatically.
Salmon’s equaliser would settle the tie at two-two and the result gives Bristol their first point of the season. Both teams are still searching for their first wins of the season.
Bristol’s next game comes away to Reading while Tottenham host Brighton.
The Inbound Observer 