New manager Rehanne Skinner said her first game in charge “couldn’t have gone better” after Tottenham’s first win of the Women’s Super League season.
Spurs beat Brighton 3-1 with goals from Kerys Harrop, Angela Addison and a first for the club for Alex Morgan.
Skinner said: “I really enjoyed it. Obviously we’ve worked really hard over the last couple of weeks, the players have gone into the game with a really positive mentality and it’s translated on the pitch.
“The three points are massive for the club, it starts to move us in the direction that we want to be moving in, and I think they deserved it on the balance of play.”
Tottenham took the lead when Harrop’s free-kick sailed into the top left-hand corner in the 11th minute.
Inessa Kaagman levelled from a penalty after Allana Kennedy’s high foot caught Brighton’s Aileen Whelan, but Addison scored a fine solo goal and Morgan’s late penalty rounded off the win in fitting style.
Skinner said: “Alex has been building up her time on the pitch over the course of the last couple of months. For her, she’s getting more and more back to where she would probably want to be.”
Commenting on Brighton’s goal, she added: “I don’t want to concede – for as much as we are at 3-1, we still want to get those defensive elements right.”
Brighton manager Hope Powell said: “Credit must go to Tottenham, they really came at us. I think it was quite competitive, it was end to end.
“I thought at the end of the day Tottenham were the better team and the result reflects that.”
This weekend also marked the returns of fans to WSL games and Skinner said: “Having them in the ground changes the atmosphere, gives the players a lift as well. It’s a really important part of the game to have fans in the ground.”
