Ladies earn their Spurs

West Ham United Ladies returned to winning ways with a fine 2-0 league victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening.

Zoe Lipley-Hinton celebrated her own return to the starting XI with the opening goal just eight minutes from full-time before April Bowers made sure of victory in the final minute.

Having been beaten 3-0 at home by leaders Portsmouth on Sunday, the Hammers made the short trip to Ware on Thursday evening looking to bounce back, and Julian Dicks' side did just that with a fine defensive performance.

An entertaining opening 45 minutes saw both clubs create chances to open the scoring, but goalkeeper Nikita Runnacles and her defenders were equal to everything that Spurs could throw at them.

Into the second period and both teams continued to threaten to break the deadlock. The opening goal finally arrived on 82 minutes, when Lipley-Hinton celebrated her re-call by firing into the top corner from 15 yards out.

The derby success was confirmed by Bowers, who netted her first goal of the season in the closing moments of the game to send the West Ham supporters home happy.

Victory avenged the home defeat suffered at the hands of Tottenham on 4 September and lifted Dicks' team one place to fifth in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division table.

The Ladies return to action on Sunday, when Keynsham Town are the visitors to Aveley FC's Mill Field for a 2pm kick-off, with admission just £4 for Adults and £2 for U16s.

Ladies: Runnacles, King, Revell, Little (c), Bottom, Bowers, Lipley-Hinton, McCrea, Blanchflower, Kinsman, Sherwood
Subs: Mellors, Baxter, Donohoe, Locke, Humphreys