Amid a tricky run of fixtures and with a thin first-team squad, what looked like a promising campaign for United now seems to be spiralling out of control.
While a point – and the fighting spirit shown to get it – is welcome, Marc Skinner’s side have still only won one of their last four WSL matches.
Issues persist at both ends of the pitch.
At the back, they have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven matches. And in attack, they scored three but could have had 10.
In the first half they rattled the woodwork three times – Hinata Miyazawa and Malard cracked the bar from distance, before Maya le Tissier struck it too from a corner. Spurs’ Toko Koga also twice cleared efforts off the line to frustrate them.
Having pulled United back into the match, Toone then struck the bar again from 12 yards with visiting keeper Lize Kop out of position.
The Spurs stopper, though, was shaky in the latter stages and dropped a Jayde Riviere cross with the score at 3-2 – but captain Molly Bartrip rescued her with another block on the line, this time from Malard.
Boss Skinner made five changes from the team beaten by Lyon in their midweek Champions League tie, and it is clear his side are struggling with having to regularly play twice a week.
They must now peel themselves off the ceiling immediately for a key Champions League visit to Juventus on Wednesday, where they need a win to stand a chance of avoiding the play-offs.
