Holdt scores hat-trick as Spurs thrash 10-player Palace

Flora SnelsonBBC Sport journalist and Adam MillingtonBBC Sport journalist

Olivia Holdt claimed a hat-trick as Tottenham scored seven times in the second half to condemn 10-player Crystal Palace to their first defeat since being promoted back to the Women's Super League.

Holdt stole the show in Spurs' rout of Palace as she started for the first time this season.

Her three goals progressed in quality, with her first being a tap-in from close range, the second a strike into the roof of the net from inside the box, and the third an excellent effort from outside the area.

Palace's Fuka Tsunoda was shown a straight red card seven minutes into the match for a reckless challenge on Spurs forward Cathinka Tandberg.

The only side in the division yet to concede a league goal before this game, Palace preserved their clean sheet until half-time, but Holdt scored the first of her three goals four minutes into the second half at Selhurst Park.

She was substituted after completing her hat-trick 25 minutes later, but her team-mates continued their assault on Palace's goal, as Victoria Pelova scored a double and Shekiera Martinez and Amanda Nilden claimed one each.

Martin Ho's side racked up a mammoth 42 shots, hitting the target 13 times.

Ho told Sky Sports that "making a couple of changes made the difference".

Palace initially defended valiantly after being reduced to 10, with Pauline Peyraud-Magnin making good saves and their backline producing last-ditch tackles.

"I was thinking when they got the red card, this could actually be tougher for us because then they could go down in a really low block and just defend," hat-trick hero Holdt told Sky Sports.

But Palace were unable to weather the storm as the minutes ticked on, and once Holdt scored the first goal they continued to flow.

She added: "As the game kept going and we created more and more chances and came in at half-time and got together and talked [about] our plan - when the first goal came, then it was nice."

Player of the match

O. Holdt
9.23
9 B. England
6.38
32 M. Bartrip
6.23
24 S. Hopcroft
6.08
22 T. Goldie
5.58
6 A. Everett
5.55
27 S. O’Brien
5.27
17 A. Blanchard
5.27
3 J. Napier
5.09
26 P. Peyraud-Magnin
5.07
4 S. Enge
5.00
29 A. Swaby
5.00
7 L. Lloyd-Smith
4.92
19 A. Larkin
4.90
11 A. Weerden
4.80
10 K. Howat
4.70
25 F. Tsunoda
4.64
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