Charlton Athletic Women were narrowly defeated by a second half strike from China international Tang Jiali despite a valiant effort against FA Women’s Super League side Tottenham Hotspur at The Hive on Wednesday.
Tang scored just after the interval, poking home an Angela Addison cross to see the North Londoners take the points in the Continental Cup group stage.
The first chance came 10 minutes into the contest when Jessica Naz slipped Kit Graham in but the striker squared to Addison who could only poke wide with Eartha Cumings looming.
Charlton had an early excursion forward with a couple of crosses cleared and saved.
The hosts were largely restricted to shots from long range, though Graham went close a couple of times for the Super League side.
First, she flicked a cross, unmarked, onto the post after quarter of an hour and then forced Cumings into a superb flying save from a free kick 20-yards out 10 minutes before the interval.
In between those two efforts, Kerys Harrop and Tang had shots blocked, while Graham and Josie Green saw chances fly over the crossbar.
Tang flicked another cross over the bar, too; but Charlton weren’t without chances.
On 20 minutes Mia Ross had a shot from long range scrambled clear and Keira Skeels shot over from long range after Megan Wynne had won the ball back well high up the pitch.
The Addicks’ best effort came just before half time when Lois Heuchan found herself in space down the left but a good defensive header saw the cross cleared with Wynne looming at the far post.
The away side started the second period best again with Green firing an early free kick straight at Cumings and they were ahead not long after when Addison squared to Tang to poke home past three Charlton defenders.
Filbey then did well to head an Addison effort clear before the visitors started to get a foothold in the contest, particularly once Emma Follis, Elise Hughes and Sophie Quirk had entered the action as a triple sub.
Beth Roe saw a low shot saved and Filbey fired over after good work from Follis and Quirk.
That didn’t last long, though and Tottenham came back into the ascendancy, forcing Cumings to save twice from sub Kyah Simon and once from Graham.
The Scotland international then had to be on top form to save a close-range shot from Graham.
But it was the Addicks who finished strongest, almost gaining yet another 94th minute goal when Ross’s shot was deflected wide and the Spurs keeper just kept out a header from the resulting set piece.
Charlton: Cumings, Newborough (Olding 46), Sampson, Filbey (Sulola 82), King (Hughes 67), Wynne (Follis 67), Skeels (Quirk 67), Roe, Godfrey, Heuchan, Ross. Subs (not used): Hillyerd, Roche.
Yellow cards: Wynne 38, Filbey 52