Elisabeth Terland celebrates

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Terland was Brighton's top-scorer last season with 15 goals in all competitions

Elisabeth Terland scored her first two goals in Manchester United colours to help them cruise to a 3-0 win over Tottenham in the Women's Super League.

Terland, who joined United from Brighton in July, slammed in a cross from former Spurs forward Celin Bizet off the underside of the crossbar for the opener at Leigh Sports Village.

The Norwegian pair linked up again a minute later to give United a healthy lead just before the break, with Terland heading home Bizet's whipped ball to the back post.

Captain Maya Le Tissier completed the scoring when she slotted in from the penalty spot after Ashleigh Neville was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.

Terland was denied a hat-trick when her low strike was tipped onto the post by Becky Spencer, but she left the pitch to a warm standing ovation when she was replaced by Rachel Williams after 76 minutes.

The result ensures Marc Skinner's side maintains their 100% record in the WSL with three wins from three this season.

Despite a comfortable scoreline for the hosts, it was Spurs who made the brighter start with Martha Thomas forcing an early save by Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Clare Hunt and Bethany England saw efforts drift just wide, while Drew Spence saw her rifled strike from the edge of the area tipped over by Tullis-Joyce.

However, Spurs were left playing catch-up thanks to Terland's double and the visitors' chances were limited in the second half.

Summer signings star as Terland gets off the mark

Terland was Brighton's top-scorer last season, registering 15 times in 28 appearances across all competitions for the Seagulls.

The 23-year-old seems to have finally found her feet at her new club and, with two clinical finishes and superb hold-up play, she looks like a shrewd signing.

Skinner will hope Terland can build on this performance and be the out-and-out goalscorer United need if they are to better last season's fifth place finish in the WSL.

Bizet, a forward for Spurs last season, starred in the right-back role for United, picking out Terland with two inch-perfect crosses to beat her assist tally from last season.

Meanwhile, Grace Clinton, who has returned to United after a season-long loan at Tottenham, was also a threat.

She forced an acrobatic save from Spencer in the first half and came close again late in the second with an audacious lob.

It has been an impressive start to the season for United whose new players are really starting to make an impact.

Player of the match

Number: 19 E. Terland
Average rating 8.46
Number: 19 E. Terland
Average Rating: 8.46
Number: 15 C. Bizet Ildhusøy
Average Rating: 8.07
Number: 4 M. Le Tissier
Average Rating: 8.03
Number: 8 G. Clinton
Average Rating: 7.84
Number: 11 L. Galton
Average Rating: 7.54
Number: 16 L. Naalsund
Average Rating: 7.50
Number: 7 E. Toone
Average Rating: 7.48
Number: 91 P. Tullis-Joyce
Average Rating: 7.41
Number: 21 M. Turner
Average Rating: 7.40
Number: 17 D. Janssen
Average Rating: 7.37
Number: 3 G. George
Average Rating: 7.33
Number: 28 R. Williams
Average Rating: 6.77
Number: 20 H. Miyazawa
Average Rating: 6.63
Number: 13 S. Awujo
Average Rating: 6.44
Number: 5 A. Mannion
Average Rating: 6.41

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.