Defender Leah Rawle says Spurs Ladies’ character will not allow them to buckle under pressure following a resilient 1-0 away performance against Charlton Athletic – a result which stretched their unbeaten run to 27 games in all competitions.

Wendy Martin got the only goal of the game and Rawle says the squad showed they can adapt to different situations.

She said: “I think the first-half especially we controlled it more, they came out with a different game plan in the second-half. We had to obviously adapt to that and soak up a lot of pressure.

“And I think that’s the difference between us from last season. That character allows us to take the pressure and then even go on to win the game.

“It could have been two or three if the chances had gone in, so I don’t think anyone can say that we haven’t got it.

“We’ve never won here for as long as I’ve been at the club, so to come and get all three points makes it quite a special day.”

The season hasn’t all been plain sailing off the field, however, with Rawle juggling her football career with a job in the ambulance service.

But she says she has received plenty of support from the club and her team mates.

She said: “This is the first full season that I’m trying to balance work. Everyone knows that I work through the night on a lot of shifts, and they’re big 12-hour days minimum.

“It can be difficult but you just have to be disciplined. If there’s a day when I know I’m going to get back in, and it’s eight in the morning, then I’ll go for a run at that time, just to keep me fit.

“Football wise it can be a little bit harder, but as long as I know I’m keeping my fitness up there, I feel fine.

“Luckily I play in a team where everyone supports me, so they know that if I can’t be there one week, I’m going to go and do my own thing.”

Tottenham face their biggest challenge to date when they take on defending SSE Women’s FA Cup holders, and north London rivals, Arsenal in the fifth round.

And Rawle believes the game will allow them to express themselves freely.

She said: “It’s just going to be a good day for us. It’s already been good because we’ve done what a lot of people already thought we couldn’t do and beat Brighton to get there, so now we can just go and enjoy it.

“There’s no pressure really, no one expects us to win the FA Cup, if we’re ever going to do anything and cause upsets, it’s this season because we haven’t lost a game.

“They might have a little bit more to worry about now, we’re just going to go there and enjoy ourselves.”