Match Report
Report: Sheffield United 0-4 Bristol City.
02 May 2026
Bristol City Subway Women’s League Cup campaign came to a close at a blustery Robins High Performance Centre in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Martha Thomas’ early second half goal was enough for Spurs to win the game, but City will take positives from a very promising performance against a higher opposition.
Charlotte Healy made four changes to her side that lost 2-0 to Charlton last week, with Naomi Williams, Esther Morgan, Harley Bennett & Olivia Johnson coming into the side.
Spurs dominated the ball in the opening ten minutes, and they managed to carve out their first opportunity of the game after a good passage of play saw Amanda Nilden’s strike find the woodwork.
Despite Spurs pressure, City remained a threat on the counter, with Malaika Meena doing well to win the ball high up in the Tottenham half on numerous occasions.
Tottenham did however come close to finding an opener in the first half.
Good footwork from Olivia Holdt saw her force a save from Williams, before the ball then fell to Thomas who tapped into an empty net, however the offside flag kept the score level.
City had begun to grow into the game, and another opportunity came when Esther Morgan put in a brilliant delivery, which was just too high for the onrushing Rio Hardy.
Johnson was the first player into the book, as she obstructed Thomas from retaining the ball she had knocked round the young winger.
The sides headed into the break goalless, in what was a fairly even, contested first-half.
Healy’s side were the first to utilise the bench with Lexi Lloyd-Smith replacing Malaika Meena at the interval.
Almost immediately after the restart, the deadlock was broken as Tottenham took the lead through Thomas when she fired her effort past Williams.
Marine Dafeur then found her way into the referee's book not long after.
Spurs began to pile on the pressure as they searched for a second and Holdt's effort from the edge of the box following a corner smashed onto the crossbar.
City then made a double change as Mari Ward and Olivia Johnson were taken off in place of Ella Powell and Maria Farrugia.
Lloyd-Smith had the best chance of the half for City when a nice bit of skill saw her open up a yard of space from 20 yards, but her effort fizzed just past the Spurs post.
City made their final change of the afternoon as 16-year-old Isla Law came on for her senior debut in place of Marine Dafeur.
STARTING XI: Williams (GK), Ward (Powell 69’), Bennett, Lawley, Morgan, Meena (Lloyd-Smith 45’), Dafeur (Law 89’), Ingle, Syme, Hardy, Johnson (Farrugia 69’). Substitutes: Bentley, Mutch, O’Leary, Saez.
Report by Leo Rocke