Rianna Dean scored a stoppage-time winner as Tottenham survived a late West Ham comeback at the Hive to beat their local rivals in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Emma Mitchell scored what long looked to be the winner for Spurs on her first start since joining the club on loan from Arsenal until Kenza Dali curled in a late equaliser for West Ham.

It appeared as though West Ham, who lost to Tottenham 2-0 at the London Stadium in the reverse fixture, were going to prevent their rivals from doing the double but up stepped Dean for her third of the season to secure a deserved three points for the hosts.

It may not have been in front of 24,790 fans this time but the game still had the feeling of a fierce London derby, former Hammer Ria Percival and Josie Green firing over at one end before Alisha Lehmann was denied twice at the other.

After a brief spell of away pressure, Spurs were back in the ascendancy. First, Rosella Ayane saw her effort tipped wide before Mitchell hammered home from the resulting corner.

The home side had an early chance in the second half when Kit Graham met Ayane's floated cross, but Courtney Brosnan got down well to save before helping again to keep the deficit to one by tipping over Dean's volley.

The pacey Spurs frontline, spearheaded the lively Ayane, continued to frustrate the West Ham defence in the closing stages but it was Mitchell who came closest to doubling the scores as her late effort flashed wide of the post.

But in an incredible finish Dali levelled the scores in the last minute, before Dean sent the Spurs masses into raptures by flicking her header over Brosnan in stoppage time to seal her side's fifth win of the season.

Tottenham's Mitchell said: "Playing for Spurs is an opportunity for me to get some game time without having to move my whole life. It's only 20 minutes away from Arsenal and I just wanted to get back playing and Spurs gave me the opportunity.

"I'm seeing this as a positive move for me to get regular 90 minutes under my belt. I think the potential is there for this team to go far. It's a really young team and they've already shown they can compete in this division.

"I've been at Arsenal for a long time and some of my best mates are there. I can't play against them but I think I'll go and watch as a neutral. I've come here and they've given me the confidence to get back playing. Now I feel like I can go out there and express myself again."

West Ham's Dali added: "I'm really disappointed with the result. It's not the first time we've lost against this team. There's no excuses. We have to be better. We have to be more consistent.

"We need the three points. I think the illness that cancelled our game last week definitely had an impact because we didn't play for a month, but again, we can't be making any excuses.

"We have to be ready for games like this and win no matter what. They had more character today than us and we need to be better."

Tottenham: Spencer (Morgan 46), Percival, Green, Davison, Graham (Quinn 71), Neville, Mitchell, Godfrey, Filbey, Dean, Ayane (Addison 86).

Unused subs: Worm, Schillaci, Leon, Peplow.

West Ham: Brosnan, Kvamme, Flaherty, Lehmann (Kiernan 70), Thomas, Longhurst (Simic 58), Leon (Galabadaarachchi 58), Dali, Fisk, Middag, Vetterlein.

Unused subs: Moorhouse, Wallen, Littlejohn, Kiszkis.

Attendance: 855.

*To follow the action, buy tickets and sign-up for The FA Player's live Barclays FA Women's Super League coverage visit womenscompetitions.thefa.com.