Tottenham Hotspur Women Under 19s came from behind in the final quarter of an hour to earn a 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Wednesday afternoon. Substitute Lexi Withey won and scored a late penalty in front of watching first team stars at Hotspur Way.

Senior stars Jess Naz, Kirsty Hanson, and Ella Morris stood on the touchline at Hotspur Way on Wednesday as the youth side faced Manchester United. Forward Jhanaie Pierre also watched on after scoring twice in last week’s 3-2 win at Birmingham City. Out on the grass, Sophie Jackson made a sharp early save. Then, in the 43rd minute, Rania Oukriss took Amie Bush’s pass and fired Tottenham Hotspur ahead.

Oukriss stays eligible for academy games alongside her dual registration deal at Portsmouth. However, her opener barely lasted a minute before a mix up let Madison Vernon level for United before the break. Early in the second half, Poppy Neill shot wide, and the referee ruled out an Eloise Summers Mee goal for offside. Soon after, Martha Allington scored a penalty on 57 minutes to put United ahead.

Falling behind could have knocked the wind out of Matt Sharman’s young side. Instead, the hosts dug in and kept moving the ball with real purpose. Just past the hour mark, Sharman sent on midfielder Lexi Withey to give the team fresh legs in the middle of the pitch. That change paid off with fourteen minutes left on the clock.

Substitute Lexi Withey Rescues Spurs Before Late Crossbar Drama

Driving into the United penalty box in the 76th minute, Withey drew a foul from a retreating defender to win a spot kick. The substitute dusted herself down and fired home from twelve yards to make it 2-2. Right at the death, Tottenham almost snatched all three points. However, Ruby Mace watched her powerful header crash back off the crossbar in the closing seconds.

Even without a winner, four points from two games mark a big step forward in Division One. Coach Sharman praised the display. He said, “Overall, it was a fantastic performance from the team, and from minute one to minute 90 there was a lot of consistency with our in possession behaviours.” He added, “I am really proud of the players, and it is a well deserved point.”