Tottenham thrash WSL Newcomers Crystal Palace



A superb debut goal for Hayley Raso helped Tottenham to a thumping win over Women's Super League newcomers Crystal Palace.

The Australian, who joined from Real Madrid in the summer, opened the scoring before second-half goals from Jess Naz, Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen rounded off a convincing victory for Robert Vilahamn's side.

Palace ended their first ever WSL game with 10 as substitute Brooke Aspin was sent off for two bookings in a matter of seconds in stoppage time.

Tottenham started brightly with Raso, who previously enjoyed spells at Everton and Manchester City, at the heart of everything.

The 30-year-old's was a goal to remember as she collected the ball midway inside the Palace half, surrounded by three defenders, but jinked her way into the box and rolled a pinpoint finish into the far corner.

Laura Kaminski's visitors absorbed that blow and grew into the game as the half went on, albeit without managing to create any chances of note.

Raso should have doubled Spurs' lead just before the break but, after being left unmarked 10 yards out, her shot was too close to Shae Yanez in the Palace goal.

It was one of 13 saves in a hugely impressive performance from Yanez, one of seven debutants in the starting XI, but she was helpless to resist Tottenham's second-half onslaught.

Naz ran onto Spence's no-look pass to finish at the second attempt soon after the break and with the away side looking increasingly tired, Spurs pressed on relentlessly.

Spence made it three with a clinical near-post finish after Bethany England's clever flick found her on the edge of the box and Ahtinen came off the bench to rifle an unstoppable strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

Only Yanez's sharp reflexes prevented matters getting worse for Palace but with frustration building Aspin, on loan from Chelsea, angrily kicked the ball away after the referee adjudged she had tripped Spurs' Anna Csiki.

A yellow card for each offence saw Aspin shown the red to end a difficult first day in the top flight for the visitors.

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