Lize Kop proved the shootout hero for Tottenham Hotspur as they defeated London City Lionesses on penalties to progress to the Adobe Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals after a 2-2 draw at the Copperjax Community Stadium.
Matilda Vinberg had put the visitors ahead inside ten minutes, but a quick blitz after half time saw London City turn the tie on its head.
Daniëlle van de Donk’s first goal in light blue was timely to say the least as she poked home the equaliser after the restart before a Jana Fernández wonder strike put the hosts ahead.
But six minutes into added time, Beth England stepped up to bury a penalty and take the tie to extra time.
After nothing could separate the sides in the additional 30 minutes, a mammoth penalty shootout ensued with Lize Kop stepping up to save the eighteenth kick to send Spurs through to face Chelsea.
The visitors showed all the early intent as Olivia Holdt drove to the edge of the box in the opening stages before firing her shot wide.
But the Danish youngster would be involved moments later as Cathinka Tandberg found her centrally in space.
Holdt spotted the run of Vinberg to her left and played a brilliant through-ball into the box to beat the last defender, leaving the Swedish forward only needing to poke it past a sprawling Elene Lete after just seven minutes.
But the goal would awaken the hosts as London City responded with their own efforts.
Freya Godfrey tried to instigate a goal threat as she set off on a mazy run before firing a low shot which she saw blocked and eventually cleared.
And they would knock again just four minutes later when Sanni Franssi found Nikita Parris in the box, but Spurs did well to block and clear her attempt at goal.
In an end-to-end match, the visitors looked to have the best opportunity to add the game’s second in the first half when Hanna Wijk found Tandberg in the box on 40 minutes with a low cross.
Having been involved in the first goal, Tandberg saw her shot from the centre of the box fly marginally over the crossbar.
And Parris nearly took immediate advantage of such profligacy, but Kop denied the London City forward’s header with an excellent point-blank save to ensure Spurs led at half-time.
It was Tottenham who had it in the back of the net eight minutes after the restart, as Vinberg looked to turn provider, but Tandberg was offside when she got the final touch.
Instead, it was the hosts who would seize the equaliser as Lucía Corrales sped away down the left flank before crossing the ball from the byline to put it on a plate for substitute van de Donk on 58 minutes.
And just a minute later they had flipped the tie on its head as Corrales notched her second assist for Fernández to curl a brilliant shot from outside the box into the back of the net to put Eder Maestre’s side ahead with her first goal for the club.
It provoked a triple substitution from Martin Ho on 65 minutes with England, Lenna Gunning-Williams and Amanda Nildén all introduced.
But despite a flurry of late corners, the visitors looked like they would not find a way back into the game as Molly Bartrip headed wide and Wijk dragged her shot wide.
Substitute England had other ideas, however, when Teyah Goldie was penalised for a handball in the box, burying the resulting penalty to send the tie to extra time.
Despite the two sides’ penchant for scoring in normal time, neither could find a way through in the 30 minutes as Izzy Goodwin and Nildén saw chances denied at each end.
But both sides knew how to find the net in the resulting penalty shootout as the first eight penalties from both sides were all scored.
Having scored her own, Kop stepped up to save Wassa Sangaré’s spot-kick and send Tottenham Hotspur through to a quarter-final meeting with holders Chelsea.
