Tottenham Hotspur Ladies -

First Team reports 2004-05

An experimental side took the field against Lewes Ladies as the new Spurs management gave as many players an opportunity to get some match fitness under their belts.

The visitors took the lead with just nine minutes gone, a ball into the Spurs penalty area was sliced past her own goalkeeper by Jenny Curtis.  However, the equaliser came along some ten minutes later when determined play by Gill Blackmore just inside the area produced a shot that was deflected in off a Spurs players foot.

A whole new Tottenham side took the field at the start of the second half and Spurs struggled to find the fluency they had been developing in the first.  Lewes rolled on and off their subs and were a tighter unit in the second period.  They scored two goals without reply in the final 45 minutes and the twenty eight players who took the field for Spurs were well tested in their opening pre-season work-out.

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Tottenham fielded a very young side against a well-drilled Army team.

The organisation and fitness of the home side saw off the challenge from Spurs Ladies, who did put together some good football despite the score, and racked up a big win.

After a tiring game the day before, Tottenham Hotspur Ladies were quick out of the blocks against the UK Deaf Ladies side.

A break down the right wing from the kick-off by Rosi Webb saw her cross guided past the keeper on the volley by Sam Chase after just 23 seconds.  It was the perfect start for Spurs, but the UK deaf team hit back after seven minutes, when only a good save by keeper Kat Stebbings, coming off her line, prevented the centre forward equalising.  

In the next minute, Webb was again in the action with a neat lob over the keeper that unfortunately bounced off the top of the crossbar and Tottenham were denied again in the 17th minute, as the visiting goalie made a very good save from a 30 yard Kelly Herrett drive.  The keeper was in action again after 21 minutes, making a good low save from Jenny Curtis' header at a corner.

However, Spurs went further ahead in the 34th minute when along free-kick from Kelly found Samrawit Bereket on the right of the box.  She beat the keeper, who had come out to close her down, looked up and intelligently laid the ball square for Rosi to lift the ball over the recovering keeper and defenders on the line.

The opposition did not let their heads drop and got back into the game two minutes before the break.  A long ball into the right wing channel saw Stebbings rush out to meet it, but the winger got there first and lobbed the ball over her into the net.

The second half was a more sedate affair, with play swinging to and fro.  Spurs had the goalkeeper saving from a Kerry Daniells effort, while the UK Deaf side broke forward and from the left wing landed a shot on top of the stanchion behind the goal.

A half hour into the second period, the visitors equalised.  A long through ball caught Tottenham square and the winger cut in to slip the ball past the advancing Stebbings to make it 2-2.

Herrett's free-kicks were causing all sorts of problems and Webb nearly latched onto one, but the keeper blocked it well and Meroulla Lazarou nearly beat the keeper to a long ball, but was denied the goal-scoring opportunity by a rush from the line.  The nearest anyone came to winning the match after this was when Webb had the bal in the neat with a net finish when going wide of the goal, but the score was chalked off for offside.

A well-contested match, which was hard fought saw the spoils shared in what was probably a fair result overall.