Rehanne Skinner hailed the spirit, attitude and unity of her West Ham United women’s team as they sealed a semi-final spot in the Subway® Women’s League Cup with a heroic 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
Terrific goals from Seraina Piubel and Kirsty Smith helped the Hammers complete a first-half comeback after Martha Thomas’ opener, and Skinner waxed lyrical over the quality of her side’s strikes.
But the Irons also had goalkeeper Megan Walsh to thank for their victory at Gaughan Group Stadium, who, wearing the captain’s armband, pulled off two terrific reflex saves to deny Spurs an equaliser.
Skinner called for her squad to step up over the next few weeks, and against London rivals Tottenham, they did just that.
I’m delighted for the players, staff and the fans.
I'm absolutely delighted. The players have worked so hard tonight and scored two really good goals. We've had to defend quite a lot at the end, and I think we've done all parts of the game well.
We obviously came into it unhappy with the performance at the weekend, and we wanted to make sure we put that right tonight, and I think we've done a fantastic job today.
I'm delighted for the players and obviously the staff. Everybody's worked hard for it, so it's a great result.
The goals we scored were fantastic.
For Seraina [Piubel's] goal, just the speed at which we turned them and played forward [was great]. The timing and quality of the pass was absolutely superb, and it's a fantastic finish. At full pace, they're quite difficult to control sometimes.
And yes, Kirsty’s free-kick. The accuracy of it is great, but at the same time, the movement that creates in and around the defenders and the goalkeeper creates an issue. I'm delighted for her. I think she was more surprised than anyone, but it got all the way through. If it's on target, you create chances.
Walsh showed her quality in goal.
She's [Megan Walsh] made some massive saves today, really important saves at really key times. She talks well with the group, and she's a fantastic member of the squad. I think what she's done tonight has shown the quality that she has as well.
It's going to be a headache for me at the weekend.
They've all done so well out there tonight, and there's a real unity within the squad. Yes, look, we're here to perform, and I think when we don't do that, it's disappointing for everybody. And so everybody's trying to fight for a shirt, and it's competitive, and that's the way that it has to be.
People have got to do their job. Today, a lot of people have had an opportunity to make a point, and I think they've done a fantastic job. It's going to be a headache for me at the weekend, and that's how it should be. It's given us food for thought, and that's fantastic, because we know now everybody's got minutes as well.
We have a fantastic group of people, and their attitude has been great.
I've said this before, but the belief and togetherness in this team [is amazing], they're a fantastic group of people. I love working with these women. They are unbelievable every single day. Everybody's on point, and everybody believes in what we're doing.
Sometimes in football, you get those bits wrong. Obviously that happens, and we also feel like we've not had the results we've deserved in the first half of the season. But we've rallied round and stuck together, and that's the most important thing.
It'll carry us through for the rest of the season, and it won't be easy because all of these games are tough. But with that kind of attitude, approach, effort, and motivation that everybody's put in today. It was fantastic, and that's what it means to play for West Ham.
