Robert Vilahamn was full of pride as Tottenham Hotspur reached their first-ever Women's FA Cup final by beating Leicester City 2-1 after extra time.

The manager, who is less than one year into his spell in North London, said: "I'm very proud. It's evidence that we're doing something really good with the women's club at Tottenham."

The victory wasn't easygoing as Jutta Rantala gave Leicester the lead early on with a stunning strike from the right flank.

Spurs struggled throughout, but they eventually equalised through a moment of fortune. Josie Green failed to clear the ball, allowing Jessica Naz to race one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slot her shot into the bottom, right corner. The tension only built from there, but Martha Thomas dramatically won the match for the hosts with a looping header in the 118th minute. 

They will face Manchester United in the final and Vilahamn would call them crazy if they didn't fear them. 

"They would be stupid if they don't fear us because we have beaten good teams. But, on the other hand, I don't care. I know what we can do, and I know we are going to go there and compete and try to go for it," he said. 

"Of course, it's going to be a tough game, but we don't really care so much about the opponent, we're just going to make sure we take steps and play better football and try to win the first title for this club for a long time."

  • Martha Thomas' impact

Thomas scored the winner in the dying seconds, acting as the hero Spurs were looking for.

In just her second match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, she has scored two goals, one against Arsenal and now one today. She is proving to be a key player, which Vilahamn agrees with.

"Some players like it and some can be a little bit scared of it. But she is what Tottenham represents - to dare is to do. She wants to shine in these games. This is the second game when she's scored the winning goal. I'm happy for her because she's worked so hard to get to this point in her career. It shows character that we have these kinds of players who can step in and do it for us," he said. 

"If you find a person behind a player, you get to know her and understand what she needs. There is not too much tactical that she needs to do, but you can tell her to have a lot of freedom in the way she plays. She needs to stick to the plan and, when she does that, she does some really good stuff.

"She scores those goals, which is also part of the self-confidence that she has built this year. She still takes steps, and doesn't do everything great, but she is so important to us. She is so clever."

  • Vilahamn's cautious celebrations

The scenes at Tottenham showcased the turning of the tide in women's football. Over 18,000 people were there to witness victory and it was clear Spurs are on an upward trajectory.

As the celebrations started, Vilahamn was cautious to go over the top, knowing there is still work to do. 

"We should celebrate today that we have done something really good. But on the other hand, we haven't won anything yet. We need to make sure we get back to the training ground and work really hard. When we go to the final, we go for the win. We want to win a title for these fans and this club. We're not going to be favourites but that's fine," he said. 

"All of the chances we got in the last 30 minutes of the second half were together with the fans. When you get those chances, you get extra energy and that helps us.

"I can guarantee that helped Jessica Naz with her goal as well. It helps us. You also feel afterwards, that it's also so much stronger to win the game. This is what it is all about. It is not about winning or losing; it is about doing it with the fans. It's amazing."

Grace Clinton has been the shining and energetic light at Tottenham this season. Acting as the beating heart, Spurs have looked noticeably better during the transition when the newly-capped Lioness is playing.

However, in the final against Man United, Spurs will have to work without her. According to competition rules, loan players are now allowed to play against their parent clubs, which forces the midfielder to sit on the sidelines at Wembley next month. 

“I mean I just feel sorry for her, I think she is not getting the chance to play at Wembley in the final. But for us, we have a big squad, we have a lot of good players," Vilahamn said disappointingly on Clinton’s future omission.

"For me, we know why she can not play against them. It’s the same next week, she can not play them in the league as well.”