Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 
First Team reports 2002-03

(after extra time)
1-1 after 90 minutes
4-3 on penalties

After a gruelling first game of the season, Tottenham finally overcame a determined Redhill side in a penalty shoot out to go through to the next round of the Cup.

Starting the match with ten players because of some late arrivals, Spurs were on the back foot in the early stages.  As early as the sixth minute a shot from a Redhill forward went narrowly over the bar and on 20 minutes, Tina Hills in the Tottenham goal mis-kicked a clearance outside the box, but not as badly as the Redhill player it fell to, who sliced it out for a throw-in.

Zoella Freeman, who began the match in an unfamiliar defensive role, made a decisive block on the edge of her own box, as one of the opponents unleashed a fierce shot.

Tottenham's play was not as fluent as their pre-season play had been, but in the 25th minute Jackie Fearon launched a towering lob from 35 yards out, that the visiting keeper did well to catch.  Shortly after, Zoella, pushing forward, hit a 25 yarder that the keeper saved.  Tottenham's best chance of the half came when Ruth Waghorn, making her senior debut, was put through by a clever pass from Freeman.  She took the ball on the right hand corner of the box and hit a shot that shook the goalpost.  Two minutes later, Zoella hit a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area, as Spurs finished the half strongly.

The teams turned round with the game scoreless and the opening exchanges of the second half were fought out in midfield.  A quarter of an hour into the half, Steph Lappen, also making her full debut, crossed from the left and Zoella was just beaten to the waist high ball by the keeper.  Five minutes after this, Redhill took the lead against the run of play at that time.

A throw in on the Tottenham right found a striker in the box and Short turned goalwards and shot home across Hills and just inside the far post.  Straight from the restart, they could have extended their lead, but Redhill's Dunn shot over the bar when clean through the middle.  The play swung to the other end, where LaToyah Johnson, on as a substitute, beat two players and shot just over the goal from 25 yards out.

In the 72nd minute, good work on the right wing between Freeman and Chrissy Oshodi produced a Sparrow corner which was firmly headed home by Lucy Auguste, four yards out, to equalise for Tottenham.   

Towards the end of normal time, LaToyah could have won the game herself with a hat-trick of chances.  Each time she was denied by the keeper, but Labassi didn't have a chance with an Auguste shot that flew across the goal in injury time, but unfortunately, it also flew past the post.

Extra time was required and Tottenham looked the stronger of the two sides, although Redhill were enjoying a fair amount of possession and passed the ball well.  At the start of the first fifteen minute spell, Lappen had a shot deflected up into the air and the keeper was beaten, but it was headed off the line, with Freeman hitting the rebound over the bar.  Johnson dragged a shot across goal and as time ran out in the first half of extra time, Gill Blackmore hit a 25 yard shot that crept inches past the left hand upright.  Lucy Auguste also blasted a fierce drive from 25 yards out just too high.

Still with nothing between the two sides, Spurs Ladies switched to playing three at the back and pushing an extra player forward.  Four minutes into the second half of extra time, it paid off.  A corner was won on the left wing and Lorraine Sparrow swung it in to the near post, where Fearon caused havoc with her height.  With this confusion, the ball fell into the six yard box, where Chrissy Oshodi arrived to side foot the ball in to give Tottenham the lead.

Redhill pushed forward to find an equaliser, but found Hills in inspired form.  She saved well from Dunn, then with five minutes remaining, a long range free kick nearly brought Redhill level.  It hit the underside of the bar, bounced out and as Tina tried to punch clear, there was a collision with two opposition forwards and all three players needed treatment.  This left Hills limping for the remainder of the game and right on time, she would have had no hope even if fully mobile, as a long range shot was deflected wide of her for a last gasp goal to make it 2-2.

It was a blow for Tottenham who had looked the better side in extra time, but there was no time to respond and the result was to be decided by penalty shoot-out.

With Hills still carrying the knock into the shoot out, she made one save and another penalty was kicked wide to match the two saves the Redhill keeper made.  When it looked as though nothing could separate the sides, Steph Lappen stepped up to shoot high into the top corner to give Spurs a 4-3 lead as it entered sudden death.  Dunn, who had played so well, was entrusted with the Redhill spot-kick and blasted narrowly over to leave Tottenham winners at the death.

The game was a tight one with both sides fairly well matched, as the nature of the result suggests, but Tottenham will feel that the refereeing decisions may have gone against them in the 90 minutes of normal time, with a Redhill defender handballing on the half-way line when Ruth Waghorn would have been clean through and Johnson pushed over inside the box, for what appeared a clear penalty.  Redhill played a neat passing game, but they really lacked a killer finish, which might have made getting back in the match difficult for Spurs early on.

So, Tottenham Ladies are in the draw for the next round, but will have to fare better than this to progress further in the competition.

Midfielder Lucy Auguste tried her luck with a shot from distance, which was well over the bar and Gill Blackmore had a shot deflected for a corner.  Just before half-time Claire Bloomfield made a good save from a header.

Samrawit Bereket and Latoyah Johnson replaced Chrissy Oshodi and Ruth Waghorn at the start of the second half.

After 12 minutes of the second half, Latoyah Johnson played a one-two with Zoella Freeman, advanced into the box before coolly slotting home past the keeper's despairing dive.

A quarter of an a hour later Sam Farnum replaced Steph Lappen.

Although Spurs had a much better second half, they were unable to get into any real rhythm as the half was littered with injuries and stoppages.

Within eight minutes of the start, Tottenham had threatened the Raiders goal.  Lucy Auguste won the ball in mid-pitch and strode forward to hit a 20 yard shot, that the keeper saved.  Within two minutes, Spurs had taken the lead.  The ball was with Samrawit Bereket, who had a nasty clash of heads in the first five minutes and she fed it square to Auguste. The tall midfielder was about 20 yards out and Lucy unleashed a low shot that skidded off the wet turf and beat the dive of Davis, the opposing keeper.

Redbridge thought they had equalised on 17 minutes, as a free-kick went across the six yard box and was bundled in at the far post, but the referee had seen an infringement.  It was short respite for Tottenham, as in the next attack, Nicky John broke in from the Raiders right wing and beat Tina Hills with a cross shot.  It was the winger's day, as five minutes later, a corner was blocked and fell to her to prod over the line from close range.

Tottenham tried to gather themselves and gradually got back into the game.  A neat move in the 29th minute started with Lucy Auguste finding Steph Lappen on the left wing.  Breaking into the box, Steph beat three players, before coolly pulling the ball back across the goalmouth for Samrawit Bereket  to slot home from five yards out.

Straight from the restart, Tina was stretching to save from a shot by Pavett and denied John her hat-trick with a brave one-on-one save just after the half hour.  However, it only delayed the inevitable, as with three minutes remaining until half-time, John got away on the right side of the box once more and her cross-cum-shot squirmed off Hill's hands and in.  However, Tina redeemed herself with a brave dive to take a cross at the feet of an on-rushing attacker, while one last effort before the break saw Auguste force Raiders keeper Davis to hold onto another 20 yarder. 

Turning round at 2-3 down, Spurs now had the advantage of the wind at their backs.  It proved to be useful, as much of the play was heading towards the Raiders goal for the majority of the half.

Ten minutes into the second period, sub. Tiffany Ellis crossed with her first touch and Gill Blackmore hit a shot that the goalie did well to save.  With 64 minutes on the clock, Lucy let go an almighty left foot drive that rocketed past the post by inches and would have uprooted the goal had it hit it !

Spurs maintained the pressure with a Sparrow free-kick that just eluded Ellis and Lappen, then Tiffany had a chance, when she blocked a clearance and hit a shot just over the bar.  It looked as though the series of corners Tottenham earned had got them a 70th minute equaliser, when one on the Spurs left was swung in by Steph Lappen and it evaded everyone and dropped in at the far post.  However, to the total amazement of everyone present, the referee blew for an infringement, which wasn't at all clear on watching the incident.

It lead to a period where the whistle dominated and play was ragged with Hills having to save a couple of free-kicks from the edge of the box - one awarded for carrying the ball out of her penalty area and signalled as an indirect free kick !! 

Spurs maintained their efforts to grab an equaliser and from another late corner, a Raiders defender slammed the ball against her own crossbar.  Just when it looked as though it would be a home win, Lappen got the ball out on the left wing and she put in a cross which gathered pace off the pitch and slipped through Davis' grasp and into the net.  There was little time after this goal for much more action and the final whistle blew on an eventful match.

It was a much changed side form last week and this might explain some of the lack of cohesion in the first half, but the Spurs Ladies put in a spirited second half showing that deserved a point.  Raiders will feel as though they should have taken all three points, but in the end the pressure told on them and a draw was probably a fair result overall.

(after extra time)
3-3 after 90 minutes

Early on, the Dagenham and Redbridge efforts were kept to along range and Tina Hills had no problems dealing with them.  However, after just eight minutes, one of the home midfielders ran in to lift the ball over Tina from 8 yards out to give them the lead.  It was the start of a little period of pressure in which they blasted a shot over the bar and Hills made a good save from the goalscorer, Morgan, in a similar position to her earlier successful strike.  Lucy Auguste almost sliced a ball into her own net, but it cleared the bar, although Hills saved a header low down form the resulting corner.

In between, Lucy broke through into the Daggers box and hit a shot wide.  Spurs had to replace the injured Jenny Curtis with Kim McGhee just after the half hour and she was immediately under pressure as D&R pressed forward. One shot flew past the post, Tina saved another and then Morgan just beat the Spurs keeper to the ball, but it lobbed just wide.

Lucy Auguste was Tottenham's main threat in the first half and hit a 35 yard shot about a yard wide and as the half drew to a close, a scramble form a Tottenham corner produced a bit of panic in the penalty area.  Latoyah Johnson limped off just before the break, as she sustained an injury when a Dagenham player rolled on her and she could not continue.

Ruth Waghorn was her replacement in the second half and after the restart of the game, Tottenham stunned Dagenham and Redbridge with three goals in seven minutes.  Almost straight from the kick off, Tottenham moved the ball forward and two minutes into the half, Zoella took the ball into the right hand channel in the area and shot across the keeper to make it 1-1.  Within a minute, she had given Tottenham the lead with a run in the same area, but this time, she rounded the keeper and slipped the ball into an unguarded net.

On 52 minutes, a free kick was given to Spurs out on their left wing.  Dead ball expert Kelly Herrett swung in a high ball that the diminutive goalie could not reach and it soared into the net to put Tottenham 3-1 ahead.

With a couple of home subs coming on to add some pace up front, Spurs managed to break up play, but in the 70th minute Tina did well to push away a shot from Barker coming in from the right wing.  Morgan had another chance but ballooned the ball over the bar from eight yards out, then D&R had claims for a penalty waved away by the ref for what was an innocuous challenge.  It was only two minutes after this though that the ball was worked through the middle of the Tottenham defence and Dunsdon scored from close in.

Tottenham held out against some strong attacking on the left wing, then found time to break away when Blackmore had a shot saved from 20 yards out.  With five minutes left, Dunsdon was booked for a series of kicks at Lucy Auguste.

Then in the last minute, the ball was played in, the ball was knocked down by a D&R forward to two players standing unmarked, and suspiciously offside, on the edge of the six yard box and Sinclair knocked the ball past Hills to make it 3-3.  Even then, Tottenham had a corner at the other end and Sparrow's kick was met by Auguste's head.  Fearon flicked the ball on and it hit the bar, came down and into the arms of the keeper without crossing the line.

So, for the second time this season, extra time was required for Spurs in this competition.  With a couple of players feeling knocks, D&R had the lion's share of the play and Sinclair had a chance to lob Tina early on, but drifted the ball wide. However, 11 minutes in to extra time, there was a lot of space down the Tottenham left for a low cross to be put into the Spurs area and Sinclair beat Hills to the ball and prodded it home.  Tottenham's chances were made even more difficult when Kelly Herrett limped off with 17 minutes still remaining to leave just ten players to see out the match.

The second half of extra time started with Tina saving a shot from the edge of the box, then six minutes into this section of the game, a cross in from the right wing saw Greenwood move into the area and steer a volley past Hills who was coming out to take the ball.  At 3-5, Tottenham had little to lose and went to three at the back to push forward.

The defence had to work hard to block a succession of shots, but with three minutes left Gill broke free on the left, but her shot was agonisingly close, but went wide.  Hills was called into action again, hewn she made a terrific reflex stop on the edge of her box, when a forward hit a 25 yard shot, but then play switched to the other end, with Auguste dragging a shot wide from just inside the penalty area.

With time running out, a low free-kick into the box nearly crept past Hills, but she just got enough on it to deflect it wide of the far post.

So, at the final whistle the majority of the 250 crowd were ecstatic and although it was probably a good game to watch for the neutral, for Spurs fans, the enforced changes before and during the game, had affected the possible outcome.  With the same opponents due to face Spurs next week, it will be interesting to see the result of that game. 

Needless to say, it was an under-par performance with little to comment on going forward, but Tina Hills kept the score down with some good saves and the team battled on despite the litany of injuries they were carrying.

It was a well oiled passing game that saw Spurs cut through the Southend side in the first half despite the pitch being very heavy in places.  Tottenham opened the scoring in the ninth minute, when captain Jackie Fearon won the ball on the edge of the box and smashed in a shot that the keeper did well to parry, but Steph Lappen, playing despite suffering with flu, was on hand at the far post to stick the ball into the net.

Three minutes later, a pass through the middle was latched onto by Zoella Freeman and taking the ball on thirty yards slipped it past the advancing goalie.  

Jenny Curtis, playing in an unusual advanced position, turned provider for Fearon in the next attack, but Jackie's shot just flew clear of the bar.

With half an hour gone, Tottenham moved forward when Sam Farnum won the ball on the right and fed Fearon on the wing.  Her cross was pinpoint perfect for Zoella to race in to head Spurs goal number three.  Farnum had a shot soon after herself from 20 yards, which produced a save from the keeper. 

Freeman's hat-trick was completed just before half time, when another through ball sliced the Southend rearguard open and Zoella rounded the keeper on the left and shot home into an unguarded net.  With seconds before the break, Zoella went close again with a shot about a foot wide of the left hand post.

At the break, Southend regrouped to prevent Spurs attacking so often and gave a better account of themselves.  The Southend keeper was also inspired in the second half to deny Spurs adding to their score.

Curtis had a good header saved before Jenny put in Lappen to hit a rasping shot that the keeper turned aside very well.  With Lucy Auguste replacing Dom Clarke, who had a solid game in defence, Spurs looked to press on, but were grateful to 'H' Djoshkoun for a saving tackle in the Tottenham area.

Fearon was finding good space wide on the right and another good cross was headed firmly by Auguste, but the keeper grabbed it high under the bar and she was in action just a minute later as Zoella fired in a low shot that was stopped low down.  On 70 minutes, Lucy ran through, but was denied by the keeper coming out of her box.  The ball fell to Sam Farnum and her lob goalwards found Gill Blackmore in the six yard box, but her header was saved at point blank range by the Southend goalie.  In fact, it was gill who came closest to adding a fifth with a 25 yarder that slapped off the crossbar and skimmed over.

Auguste and Fearon twice tested the reflexes of the goalie and Lucy also curled one effort just wide of the target.

It was a pleasing show by the Ladies, who were unable to improve to their goal difference due to a dogged second half performance by the Southend Ladies.  Next week sees the visit of Dagenham and Redbridge, when the progress the team have made over the last few weeks will be put to the test.