Summanen's stunning strike seals win over Villa | OneFootball

Eveliina Summanen struck with a goal-of-the-season contender to help us edge Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon and make it two wins from two in the Women's League Cup group stage.

A moment of magic was needed at Brisbane Road to separate the sides and Eveliina Summanen certainly delivered that, crashing home one of the best strikes so far this campaign, picking out the top right corner of the net from almost 40 yards out!

Eleanor Heeps was handed her debut for the Club and put in a commanding performance inside her box to maintain just our second clean sheet of the season.

Alongside bringing in Heeps in between the sticks, Robert Vilahamn made a further four changes to his starting XI that faced Arsenal last weekend as Martha Thomas, Ella Morris, Anna Csiki and Amy James-Turner all came in, with the latter making her first start of the campaign.

Making her first appearance in our colours, Heeps produced her first piece of action inside the opening five minutes as she was alert to smother Ebony Salmon’s scuffed effort at the back post while, at the other end, England tried her luck from distance, but it was routine for Villa’s shot-stopper as the rain began to fell in south east London.

The visitors struck the woodwork just before the half hour mark as Miri Taylor’s cross evaded everyone inside the box before bouncing off the far post in a game of very few opportunities but, two minutes before the break, England had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. Hayley Raso’s cross found our captain on the six-yard box and guided her first time effort towards goal but, despite already diving in the other direction, D’Angelo managed to get a strong hand on the ball to deny the forward.

Villa did have the ball in the back of the net four minutes after the restart, Adriana Leon tapping home Katie Robinson’s pull-back, but the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside and, after a quiet opening quarter to the second half, the game burst into life as Summanen produced one of the best strikes of the season to break the deadlock on the hour mark. The Finland international received the ball from Naz’s throw-in, set herself and from almost 40 yards out, sending a powerful effort off the underside of the crossbar and into the top right corner, leaving D’Angelo with no chance.

That injected a spark of energy throughout our players on the pitch as we search for a second shortly after, Raso being denied twice by D’Angelo before a looping header Morris landed on top of the netting while the visitors still posed a threat inside our box, Kirsty Hanson latching onto a bouncing ball but could only send her half-volley attempt wide of the post.

England forced D’Angelo into a low save down to her right after a powerful shot from the edge of the box before Villa piled on the pressure in injury-time as they searched for an equaliser, forcing a number of corners, but we remained resilient to record our first win in three games before heading into the forthcoming international break.

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Summanen 60.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Nilden 54.

Referee: Stacey Fullicks.

Venue: Brisbane Road.

Weather: Spells of light rain, 11 degrees.

Attendance: 820.