United talk of the Toone as they grab first major trophy
MANCHESTER UNITED have waited a long time for their moment in the sun.
After a weekend in which the northern lights had lit up the London skyline, it was a northern team who shone brightest at Wembley.
This is United’s first major trophy since the club was re-formed in 2018 and after what has been a disappointing season in the Women’s Super League, this victory gives Marc Skinner something to celebrate. Many United fans had insisted before kick-off that winning the FA Cup would not make up for their league campaign and Skinner’s future at the club is uncertain, with the manager yet to sign a new contract.
But regardless of how popular he is and how successful this season is viewed to be, no one can take away the fact he is the first boss to win a significant piece of silverware with United. ‘We have to use this as a springboard to make sure this isn’t a one-off,’ said Skinner. ‘We need to compete better in the league on a consistent basis to be up there again. We know that as a club we want to be winning titles.
‘This has to be the impetus and springboard for us to know we can deliver success for this fantastic club.’
It is also United’s first trophy of the Ineos era but it was Avram Glazer, rather than Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who was present at Wembley. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was present, but Spurs’ players seemed slightly overawed by their first Wembley appearance. They stayed in the game until Ella Toone’s superb strike put United ahead just before half-time but from that moment they crumbled. ‘United deserved it, they had a really good day,’ said Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn. ‘We need to look at the whole FA Cup and the fact we are playing at Wembley. It’s a really good journey we have done this year. I know we will come back. It is not the end today — it is just the beginning.’
United’s main threat came from set-pieces and they had a number of chances to break the deadlock in the opening stages. Rachel Williams should have scored from two Katie Zelem corners but could only send her efforts over the bar.
Lucia Garcia then headed another Zelem delivery over the bar, before Martha Thomas made a goal-line clearance to keep out Millie Turner’s effort. In the end it was not a set-piece but a moment of quality that saw United open the scoring, seconds before half-time. Lisa Naalsund laid the ball off to Toone, who was given time and space to shoot from the edge of the box and the forward unleashed a phenomenal strike into the top right corner. Toone is a player for the big occasion and that strike was her fourth goal at Wembley in seven appearances.
Spurs did not learn from United’s threat from set-pieces and United finally made them pay in the 54th minute. Zelem’s free-kick picked out Williams and this time the forward headed past Becky Spencer into the bottom corner. Three minutes later it was game over as a Spencer howler gifted United a third. The goalkeeper tried to play out from the back but passed the ball straight to Garcia, who fired into an empty net. Tottenham could have pulled a goal back when Bethany England met Amanda Nilden’s cross, but her effort struck the bar. United did not ease off and a fourth came in the 74th minute when Naalsund teed up Garcia, who fired in over the head of a helpless Spencer.