Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 

First Team

Unfortunately they were unable to find the stunning form they have been in of late and ended the day well and truly beaten by a superb display of fast flowing attacking football by Palace, with the makeshift Spurs attack rarely troubling the Palace defence.

The Ladies were 3-0 down at half time and were sorely missing the presence of flu-hit Zoe Freeman upfront.  With left winger Steph Lappen now returned to the States and the versatile wing forward Latoyah Johnson and long term injured Chrissy Oshodi still missing, the last thing the side needed was left back Kerry Daniells injuring her back and being replaced by Kim McGhee before 30 minutes had been played.

This made it a second half "backs against the wall" performance, but with Palace in such deadly form and the Spurs defence having a below par day, it was more luck that the score was kept in single figures.  The only respite the Ladies got was a 65th minute goal by Lucy Auguste, who spotted the Palace keeper off her line and superbly lobbed her from 40 yards, but it was already 5-0 at that point and there were still two more well taken goals to come from Palace to well and truly bury the Ladies.

Match Postponed - waterlogged pitch.

Match Postponed - waterlogged pitch.

Match postponed - waterlogged pitch

This was only their second game since the start of December and the performance showed some rustiness that comes with such a long lay off.  While plenty of chances were created, they were not taken and only a couple of good pieces of defending saved the day for Tottenham.

There was a bright start from Tottenham who had several near misses, including two from Kelly Herrett free-kicks, but Gill Blackmore made a goal-line clearance to keep the score at 0-0 when the half-time whistle went.

After the interval, Gill Blackmore got on the end of a free-kick and went close.  In the 63rd minute the only game of the game went Tottenham's way.  A through ball from Sam Farnum split the defence and captain Jackie Fearon ran onto it and slotted home past the keeper as she came out.

Spurs continued to press forward, but were denied by the keeper, when she saved a Zoella Freeman shot in the 79th minute, after a good pass from Gemma Coots.  Two minutes later, Ruth Waghorn volleyed just past the post from a Lorraine Sparrow corner.

With three minutes to go, after some good work on the left wing between Oshodi and Waghorn, Freeman set up Blackmore, who was just too high with her shot.  Then, with 90 minutes on the clock, Coots took a pass from Blackmore and again was over the top with her shot.

In injury time, it was left to Lorraine Sparrow to make an excellent tackle to save the three points for Spurs, as a Colney Heath forward bore down on goal.

Barnet have always been a bit of a bogey side for Tottenham, but a narrow win sealed a good performance, especially in the second half, when Spurs started to string some passes together.

The visitors had an early chance that was saved by Tina Hills from the speedy number 9 and from her clearance, the goal came in the third minute.  A long ball down the middle caused uncertainty in the Copthall defence, which was seized on by Zoella Freeman.  She headed the ball on and then unleashed a ferocious shot that left the keeper standing as it dipped over her head.

Two minutes later, Hills was involved again as the ball was played through the middle and in an attempt to clear, she collided with defender Clare Halfpenny, making her first team debut and the Barnet centre forward.  It looked a nasty clash, but Tina had just taken a hefty knock on her shoulder and was fit to continue.  The referee had stopped the game, which was a constant bone of contention on the Barnet sideline, as they felt that they had been denied a goalscoring opportunity, but the ball was going away from goal and there were covering defenders, which undermines that argument somewhat.

On twelve minutes, Gill Blackmore struck a shot from the edge of the box and it bounced back off a defender to Gemma Coots.  The young midfielder hit the ball first time and it flew just over the bar.  A minute later, Zoella lobbed the ball over her marker and ran around her to shoot just too high.  Jackie Fearon had a 20 yard effort just off target before Hills was called into action to save a flicked volley at her near post.

Fearon again hit a shot just over, before the play switched to the other end and a Barnet cross-cum-shot almost dropped in, but just cleared the crossbar.  A nice piece of interplay saw Zoella feed Gill Blackmore, who turned the ball inside the box for Meroulla Lazarou to hit a shot that the keeper did well to keep out.  With just five minutes left in the first half, the ball found it's way to Gemma Coots on the left side of the box and her shot was pushed over by the goalie.  The shot had such power that the goalkeeper needed some considerable treatment as she was in pain from the save.

At the turn around, Tottenham were looking to consolidate their lead, but Barnet felt that there was still something in the game for them.  A chance was thwarted when Hills dived at the feet of the Copthall number 6 and then the tall Barnet winger hit a shot that rose above the goal from just outside the box.

Halfway through the half, Barnet had two good opportunities to get a goal back.  Firstly, as Tina tried to grab a cross, the ball collided with a defender's head and spilled onto the floor, which lead to a scramble in front of the goal and the ball was eventually cleared for a corner.  From that, there was a shot from outside the area that the Spurs goalie gathered easily.  Then came a good opening as twice Barnet players appeared offside, but the ref let it go and as the centre forward chipped the ball to the far post, the Barnet number 11 missed a header into an unguarded net.

Tottenham took the sting out of the game by passing the ball around, which was not easy on an undulating pitch, but Gill, Ruth Waghorn and Sam Farnum linked up, ending with the latter having a shot over the bar.  Another good move down the right provided Sam with another chance and this time the goalkeeper had to save her 18 yard shot.  With just three minutes left, Ruth Waghorn seized on a through ball and in on goal was denied by the keeper's legs, when her initiative deserved a goal.

With a few youngsters in the side and Halfpenny making her first appearance in the first team, the side was far from familiar with each other, so this hard fought win was all the more pleasing for manager Pete Skinner.  With a double header planned for next week, similar efforts will be required to get the desired outcome. 

Photos from this match can be viewed by clicking here.

Hampered from the start by only turning up with ten players, Southwark were under pressure from the kick off and an early Kerry Daniells corner was headed inches wide by Lucy Auguste, who rose above the defence to win the ball.  On ten minutes, Gill Blackmore played the ball through the square defence and Ruth Waghorn ran on, but was closed down quickly.  She still managed to get her shot away and was just wide by a matter of inches.  Almost immediately from the kick out, Lucy blazed a 20 yard shot over the crossbar and then another Daniells corner was met by Chrissy Oshodi's head, producing a save from the keeper, low on the goal-line.

The opening goal came in the 16th minute, when a goal-kick was returned by Jackie Fearon's head and Zoella Freeman latched onto it and calmly lobbed the keeper from outside the penalty area.  With the wind in Tottenham's favour, clearances from the Southwark goal were not getting far and Fearon soon smashed a 20 yard effort just wide with her left foot. 

The play suddenly switched to the other end and Tina Hills was called upon to save from a shot by the Southwark forward, who had manoeuvred her way on to the edge of the area.  However, her long kick took the visiting defence by surprise and Zoella had another chance to lob over the goalie, but this time it dropped just wide.

Nearing the end of the first 30 minute period, Lorraine Sparrow hit a free-kick to the far post and Gill Blackmore stole in unnoticed, volleying towards the far post, where Lucy Auguste tapped home, but the referee disallowed it for offside.  Another free-kick shortly after, this time from Kelly Herrett, was caught on the wind and the keeper was alert to touch it over the top as it flew goalwards.

Before the whistle could be blown for half-time, Southwark broke forward and despite a hint of offside, the striker coolly finished past Hills to make the score 1-1 at the break. 

Within three minutes of the restart controversy reigned.  Lucy Auguste was put through the middle and with her shirt being pulled by a defender, she managed to slip the ball past the keeper, who brought her crashing down ... straight into a huge puddle of mud.  The ball was cleared and the referee awarded nothing more than a corner for the incident.  However, directly from that corner, Lorraine Sparrow hit the bar. With the ball still in the Southwark half, Zoella was denied as the keeper palmed the ball away from her as she prepared to shoot.

With seven minutes of the second half gone, Chrissy Oshodi passed through to Lucy, who this time managed to get her shot in unhindered and made the score 2-1.  Spurs still had to be on their toes, as Southwark now had the wind and a breakaway saw a shot hit the side-netting.  With a quarter of an hour gone, Chrissy Oshodi broke into the right side of the penalty area and hit a fierce ball across the face of the goal.

With 10 minutes left in the game, a long Hills clearance was flicked on and Lucy Auguste twisted and turned on the edge of the box, before unleashing a shot that the keeper could not keep out, despite getting a hand to.  Zoella almost added to the score, when through, but she poked her shot just wide of the goal.

Southwark had battled well with 10 players, but a further injury made it difficult for them to cause Tottenham problems as the match progressed.  Spurs manager Pete Skinner would have been happy with the result of this "first leg", although the wind would have to be accounted for in the next game.

Photos from this match can be viewed by clicking here.

The avalanche of goals started in the first minute.  With only 30 seconds on the clock after the whistle was blown to start this game, Jackie Fearon passed the ball out to Gemma Coots on the left wing and her low ball in, was met at the near post by Jackie, who got in front of her marker and popped it in from close range.

Ruth Waghorn went close in the very next minute, after being released down the right wing by Dom Clarke, she hit s looping shot that just cleared the bar.  Tina Hills was forced to save from a sharp shot in the next action, but a neat move involving Clarke and Waghorn set up Zoella Freeman to shoot and draw a save from the goalkeeper.

The same combination got together in the 13th minute and Zoella's long cross was headed against the bar by Meroulla Lazarou, who came close to her first senior goal.  Freeman was also close when a ball looped up into the air following a block by a defender and she volleyed wide from almost point blank range.  Another volley from Lazarou just dipped over the bar, before another goal was scored and settled the Tottenham Ladies.

Gill Blackmore played a ball over the Southwark defence and Ruth Waghorn used her pace to out-run her opponent and squirm a low shot under the diving keeper to make it 2-0.  With that goal, she became the first player to score for three different Tottenham Hotspur Ladies teams in the same season.

Unfortunately, for Spurs, the half ended on a sour note, with Dom Clarke having to leave the field after sustaining a bad injury after being involved in a collision.

Playing with the wind at their backs and against a nine-woman Southwark side, Spurs capitalised in the second half.  Opening with a passing move with Fearon putting Coots away on the left to pull back an intelligent ball to Gill Blackmore in the area, the Spurs midfielder got a shot in, but it was just wide.  Coots got in on the action herself in the second minute of the half, with a 25 yard shot straight from a clearance that was only just too high.  Five minutes later Waghorn went one better, when she returned a clearance with interest, straight past the keeper to make it 3-0.

Blackmore had to be sharp to intercept a low cross in her own penalty area to prevent an opportunity, but the play was soon back in the Southwark box, with a Waghorn cross being volleyed just wide by Meroulla.  The pressure was now almost relentless and in the 12th minute, Lucy Auguste hit a thumping drive that the keeper could only help on it's way into the top right hand corner.  Another four minutes passed before Ruth Waghorn took the ball from a throw-in and from wide on the right lopped the ball over the keeper and into the net to complete her hat-trick.

Possibly the best Tottenham goal came with seven minutes remaining.  Tina Hills rolled the ball out to Lorraine Sparrow.  She moved it up the line to Gemma Coots on the left wing, who took the ball forward and cut inside, rifling a right foot shot into the net to join Ruth in scoring for three different sides at the club this season.

Spurs were determined to finish with a flourish and a Sparrow corner fell in the area with one minute to go and Meroulla Lazarou stuck it into the net for a goal to make it 7-0 for Tottenham.

In this second game, the passing was much better from Tottenham and they used the extra players to their best advantage.  The manager was pleased with the effort from all the Ladies in this tough double header, but he was particularly pleased for the young players who were rewarded today for the work they have put in during previous games recently.

The immaculate flat surface meant that from the first whistle the ladies stroked the ball around, following on from where they left off against Southwark last week and left the Blues chasing the game.  As early as the seventh minute the ladies took the lead, only for a linesman's flag to rule out the effort, but minutes later Ruth Waghorn had given the Spurs the lead.  Further goals from Fearon, Oshodi and another from Waghorn left the Ladies with an unassailable first half lead.

The second half was where the Lilywhite football machine cranked into gear and the match turned into an exhibition of passing and team play.  The only minus side was the single second half goal, with Blackmore adding her name to the scoresheet, but at 5-0 the scoreline flattered Southend who hardly threatened the Tottenham goal.  Even in the last few minutes when they were awarded a succession of free kicks on the edge of the area, Hills was equal to the challenge.  Despite the referee seemingly determined to give Southend some consolation with three disputed free kicks, Spurs managed their fourth clean sheet in the last five games.

This win sent the Ladies to second in the league table and with Leyton Orient and Crystal Palace our nearest rivals at present both losing at the weekend,  a late challenge on the title may just be possible after all.

The hard, dusty and bumpy pitch did not help Tottenham's normal passing game and the wind that blew up in the second half made it difficult to play into.  Dagenham and Redbridge got the first dangerous ball into the box, but the cross shot passed harmlessly across the face of goal.  

Much of the game was fought out in midfield and the chances were few and far between.  With ten minutes to go until the break, Lucy Auguste advanced on goal and hit a 25 yard shot which few just wide of the post, before being denied by the goalkeeper diving at her feet five minutes later when Jackie Fearon chipped a delicate ball through.

The second half was much the same in terms of the game being contested in the middle third, but a weak D&R shot was easily saved by Tina Hills on 65 minutes.  Spurs took a deserved lead after 73 minutes, when Zoella Freeman lobbed the ball back into the box over the defence as they pushed up and a well-timed run by Jackie Fearon got there to prod the ball into the net past the hesitant keeper.

Dagenham's best chance came when a Samrawit Bereket clearance hit the ref squarely in the face and rebounded to their forward, who could only put in a weak shot on goal.

With nine minutes remaining, Lucy Auguste kinked past three defenders and was only denied a shooting opportunity as two D&R players threw themselves in front of her.  Five minutes later, the Daggers were awarded a free-kick out on the left about 35 yards out, which was swung high and hopeful into the box.  With the ball coming out of the sun, Tina Hills tried to push the ball wide, but unfortunately could only push it up and into the net.

The match was not the overwhelming victory that D&R had enjoyed previously this season against depleted Tottenham sides, but Spurs were unlucky to lose two points in such fashion, although they did enjoy the bulk of possession during the game, but created few clear cut chances from it.

Spurs had much the better of the opening exchanges on a dusty bumpy pitch.  The pressure paid off in the 12th minute, when Samrawit Bereket was on hand to hook home following a pass from Lucy Auguste.  In the 30th minute Meroulla Lazarou doubled the lead shooting into an empty net after a cross from Samrawit Bereket had eluded the defence and keeper. 

Spurs wanted to press home their advantage and shots from Lucy Auguste twice and Gemma Coots all went just wide or were saved by the keeper.  The third goal came when Lucy Auguste intercepted a goal-kick in the 38th minute, advanced and calmly beat the keeper.  

The half finished when Gill Blackmore had a shot blocked on the line after a cross from Meroulla Lazarou.

Spurs came out for the second half and were immediately on the attack.  Many chances were created with Lucy Auguste shooting wide and Gemma Coots driving just over from wide.  Coots followed this up with a 20 yard shot that was saved by the keeper.  Following a corner in the 64th minute the ball came back out to Lorraine Sparrow on the angle of the penalty area and her shot was just tipped over by an athletic save from the London Women's keeper.  Then Kelly Herrett then went close from a free kick 23 yards out, but the next goal came at the other end of the pitch.

With 15 minutes left London Women pulled one back with an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.  This galvanized the Tottenham Ladies, who were immediately back on the attack and a minute later Zoella Freeman had a looping shot which came back off the post with the keeper well beaten.  Straight after this escape, Gill Blackmore scored with a powerful strike from 12 yards as the ball fell loose in the area following a corner to restore the Spurs Ladies three goal cushion. 

Substitute Chrissy Oshodi finished the scoring in the 83rd minute when she received the ball 18 yards out wide on the left and coolly lobbed the keeper.  Five minutes later Zoella Freeman shot just wide as Spurs had their last chance, but had to settle for the five goal haul that gave them a further three points to keep the pressure on at the top of the table.

The Raiders took an early lead, when in the fifth minute, a 25 yard free-kick was fired in and Tina Hills could not prevent it going into the net.  After this the game settled into a pattern of Tottenham trying to play their way through the Redbridge midfield, while the visitors relied more on the pace of their forwards against the Spurs defence.

Meroulla Lazarou had a half chance blocked, then Jackie Fearon headed on Ruth Waghorn's cross, but it was cleared from the danger zone.  Meroulla was again denied by a defending block, with the ball falling to Gill Blackmore, who could not get the desired contact on the shot.  In the 24th minute, Zoella Freeman broke on the right side of the box and hit a rising shot that flew just wide of the post.

Redbridge hit back and Tina Hills was forced into a save low down after palming away a hanging cross.  On the half hour, the Spurs goalie was in action again, diving to stop a low shot from the edge of the area.  With ten minutes to the break, Spurs pushed on and Ruth Waghorn shot wide, then Kelly Herrett put a fee-kick into the penalty area, where Zoella hit a shot just too high.  With time ticking away in the first half, Hills once more called upon to make a save, this time low down at the near post from a sharp volley.

At the break, Tottenham replaced Jackie Fearon, who was struggling after taking a knock midway through the first half, with Sam Farnum and the team tried to capitalise on her skill on the right wing.  Having played to the strengths of the lively Raiders team, the side began to build up and open up the visiting back line.  Meroulla nearly got on the end of Zoella's cross, but was just edged out by a defender and Jenny Curtis, moving up from defence, was denied by a brave dive at her feet by the Raiders goalkeeper, leaving both players needing treatment.

Tina had made a save at a corner played in low to the near post in the early stages of the second half, but two goals in the last half hour left Redbridge convincing winners.  Their second goal came from a cross that skimmed the crossbar and dropped in at the far post, while a defensive error let the Raiders striker in on the edge of the area and she struck a shot low into the bottom corner of the net.

The result leaves Spurs in fourth place, Dagenham & Redbridge having overtaken them in third, but the title seems to be between Crystal Palace and Leyton Orient, with Spurs having a say in the destination of the top spot in their final at home to Palace. 

Spurs had the wind at their backs in the first half and they made early use of it, when Sam Chase, making her first team debut, crossed from the left.  The ball was headed up into the air and it fell for Gill Blackmore to strike a looping volley over the head of the diminutive Glaziers keeper.

Palace had a tricky centre forward and a nippy right winger and it was the number 11 who had their first effort, making Tina Hills hit the deck to stop the ball at the near post with ten minutes gone.  Seven minutes later, they wasted a good chance after Tina had saved from the centre forward.  The ball bounced loose and the forward laid it back to the winger, who smashed it high over the bar.

The game was not helped by the acrid black smoke that blew across the pitch from a nearby car fire, but another save from Hills, a volley that flew wide and a fierce shot that went over put Tottenham on the back foot.  Spurs did move the ball upfield and Sam Farnum was unable to get to the ball in the box, before the goalkeeper plunged at her feet to claim it.  As the half drew to a close, the Palace winger again threatened, but dragged her shot across the face of the goal.

In the second half Palace played with the wind and Tina Hills had to be alert in the first few minutes to keep out a low shot at her near post.  Spurs realised that they had to keep the ball on the ground and Zoella Freeman went on a great run down the wing, showing good skill taking on four Palace players to earn a corner.  From it, the ball bobbled around the box, but couldn't be forced home.

The bumpy, dusty pitch made it difficult to judge the bounce and when the visiting centre forward ran through in the 52nd minute, the ball sat up nicely for her to lob Tina from 20 yards out.  Seven minutes later, an intercepted Jenny Homer pass led to the Spurs keeper being chipped over and the number nine adding another to give Palace the lead.

Tottenham were now up against it and how the Palace number 2 missed with a free header from a yard out, nobody could explain.  But it was brief respite as with 69 minutes gone, the number 9 got her hat-trick with a goal similar to her first.

Sub. Meroulla Lazarou made good progress down the left wing in the 77th minute to put Samrawit Bereket into the area, but her low drive was blocked by the keeper's legs.

Six minutes from the end, the scoring was completed when three Palace players advanced on Hills and the ball was knocked around her and inside the post to make it 1-4.

The game was played in front of a crowd of about 50, but the experience and better management of the conditions showed why Palace are going through to the promotion play-offs.

Unused sub. 13  -  Chrissy Oshodi

There was a crowd of around 300 watched this open and flowing game that was played in a very sporting spirit, providing a fine advertisement for the women's game.

Tottenham took an early lead when Lucy Auguste was released through the middle and she steered the ball past the Chelsea goalkeeper in the second minute.  It was a great side for the home side and the crowd really got behind them.

They were lucky to keep their lead however, as only a fantastic save from Spurs keeper (and Chelsea fan !!) Tina Hills denied Chelsea's Ana Wagner.  Clean though, she hit a fierce shot, which Tina deflected up and onto the bar before the ball went over the top.  The respite was short-lived though and in the 11th minute, a run down the right lead to the equaliser.  Hills made another good stop from a low drive, but the rebound fell kindly to a Chelsea player on the edge of the six yard box and she netted to make it 1-1.

Although a good natured game, Spurs suffered two injuries that required long stoppages, when Zoella Freeman got a facial injury and Lucy Auguste got a bad attack of cramp.  The players were making the most of the wide open spaces at the Lane, but the springy turf took a lot out of the legs.

After 26 minutes, Lucy fired a rocket shot skimming past the post from 25 yards and later Chrissy Oshodi ended a good passing move with a rising shot over the bar.  It wasn't all Spurs, with Lorraine Sparrow having to make an important clearance in front of goal from a low cross, but on the break Spurs threatened the goal, but were denied by a save at Lucy Auguste's feet with Oshodi putting the loose ball wide of the mark.  Just before the break, Ruth Waghorn was taken out on the edge of the box and the ref awarded a free-kick to Tottenham.  Kelly Herrett took it and the 18 yard effort was well fielded by the keeper.

The Blues almost went into the dressing room 2-1 up, as Wagner stole in behind the Tottenham defence to hit a volley from four yards out, but it went cleared the bar.

The second half had an even more electric start for Spurs, with Zoella Freeman racing through onto a ball down the middle and chipping the keeper to see the ball hit the underside of the bar and cross the line to restore the home side's lead.  However, the story of the first half was replicated again, when Chelsea equalised eight minutes later.  The ball was played into the box and a neat control and turn gave Chelsea striker Karina Grimshaw the opportunity to blast the ball past Toni Munro, on in place of Tina Hills.

Almost straight from the kick-off Tottenham pressed on and gained a corner on the right wing.  From it, Auguste used her left foot to good effect and the ball in was low, surprising the defence, but it bounced off the post and out.  After fifteen minutes of the half, Freeman went on a mazy run and produced a dangerous ball into the box, which the Chelsea defence did well to get away.

With both sides pushing for the winner, the ball was played into the box to try and create something, but the clearest opening in the time remaining fell to Grimshaw again, as she was clear on goal, but hit her shot well wide of the target.

Both sides played the match in an attacking style with good passing football and the crowd were treated to a