Tottenham Hotspur Ladies -

First Team reports 2004-05

Jackie Fearon

Dagenham & Redbridge  9    Clapton Orient  1    
Brentford  2    Carshalton Athletic  3    

Jackie Fearon

Hendon  5    Brentford  3    
Dagenham & Redbridge  2    Long Lane  2    
Carshalton Athletic  2    C.E.F.I.  6    

Straight from the start there was a mix up in the Spurs defence, failing to clear their lines and a Carshalton forward took advantage to give the home side a 1-0 lead within 60 seconds.  Spurs could not build on the good display of the previous week and further poor defending and dis-organisation allowed Carshalton to double their lead within the space of 10 minutes. 

Tottenham improved slightly after some good inter-play between Rosi Webb and Samrawit Bereket, but Rosi's shot was saved by the keeper with her feet.  Further Spurs pressure saw the same two players combine with Samrawit putting in a great cross that was met firmly by Rosi, but again she was denied by the keeper.

Once more, the loss of concentration among the Tottenham players saw a ball hit over the top, which the Carshalton forward coolly lobbed over the advancing Hills to put the home side 3-0 ahead.  To add to Spurs' injury problems, Dom Clarke was subbed with an ankle problem and replaced by Mary Griffiths making her first team debut this season.

The team rallied in the second half and attacked straight from the kick off.  After some neat football, Kesha Heaven and Rosi Webb combined for Rosi to score to reduce the margin to 3-1.

Just as the team were getting back into the game, the team again lost concentration and whilst waiting for an offside decision that was never going to given, the Carshalton winger ran through from deep in midfield to slot the ball home and restored the three goal margin.  Spurs fought back once again and from a free kick that was cleared to the edge of the box, Geena Gordon thundered home a volley to make it 4-2.

Despite further Tottenham pressure and some other opportunities, the deficit was too large to overhaul, and the result leaves the team dangerously close to the bottom of the table.  One of the positive points from the match was a good performance from Faye Callaway, who was also making her first team debut.

Jackie Fearon

A ball won by Faye Callaway started the move that lead to the first goal, as she spread the ball to Di Gardiner, who then passed onto Samrawit Bereket.  Her cross was bundled over the line by Kesha Heaven to give Spurs a 1-0 lead.  This was quickly added to, with Gardiner firing in from outside the area and the same player lobbed over the keeper to make it 3-0.

Spurs expected a comeback from the home team, but resisted the early second half pressure and sprung out of defence with Gill Blackmore running from midfield to neatly finish in the bottom corner.  An unstoppable Di Gardiner was clipped by an Orient player as she dribbled the ball into the box and Rosi Webb stepped up to take the resulting penalty, coolly slipping the ball into the bottom corner to make the score 5-0.

The win was a welcome result to see out the last game of the year.

Jackie Fearon

Dagenham & Redbridge  6    C.E.F.I.  1    
London Womens  3    Carshalton Athletic  1    
Long Lane  4    Brentford  1    

The Spurs team started well in difficult conditions and on the quarter hour mark, following good work Samrawit Bereket's vicious shot hit the post and Gill Blackmore followed up to score.

After playing comfortably and controlling the game for some time, a lapse in concentration led to London levelling the score when the forward ran through unchallenged to slot the ball home to make it 1-1.

Into the second half, playing downhill and against the wind, this half was always going to be a challenge.  Following London pressure the Spurs defence failed to clear their lines and allowed London to score and take the lead.  Further pressure and a failure to clear their lines saw London extend their lead to 3-1.

Following substitutions, Spurs rallied and Gill Blackmore scored her second goal to reduce the gap, but despite their best efforts, Spurs were unable to find an equaliser and slipped to another narrow defeat.

Jackie Fearon

Tottenham made a good start, with a number of chances being spurned and the Carshalton goalkeeper pulling off a number of good saves.  Rosi Webb had at least three shots well saved by the goalkeeper, as the Spurs side put pressure on their higher placed opponents.  30 minutes into the game, there was a good shout for a penalty when Jackie Fearon was brought down in the box, but the referee waved play on. 

With conditions deteriorating and Carshalton finding their playing style, pressure was put on the Tottenham defence, where excellent displays were produced by Kelly Herrett and Handan Djoshkoun at centre half, with keeper Gemma Coots making a number of important saves to keep a clean sheet for the half. 

After the turnaround Tottenham had a number of chances and 10 minutes into the half had a goal disallowed for offside.  The Carshalton goalkeeper was certainly the busier of the two, but a number of breakaways meant that Spurs had to keep on their toes.  In the dying minutes of the game, with a Carshalton player through on goal, Gemma Coots turned a vicious shot around her right hand post to keep the score at 0-0. 

Whilst it was disappointing not to get all three points given the amount of possession and scoring opportunities for the side, it was satisfying to gain a point from a well drilled and experienced Carshalton side.

Jackie Fearon

Clapton Orient  0    London Womens  5    
Dagenham & Redbridge  3    Hendon  1    
Long Lane  3    C.E.F.I.  3    

The heavy pitch did not help the Tottenham team's efforts to pass the ball and it was with a determination to try to get the ball down and play that saw them make some inroads into the Clapton defence.  Gill Blackmore tested the keeper and player-manager Jackie Fearon hit a fine shot that the keeper half saved, but grabbed before Rosi Webb could pounce.

It was not all one way traffic, as Kesha Heaven in the Tottenham goal produced a good stop when faced one-on-one by an Orient forward.  However, close to half-time, Spurs could have taken the lead, when Jackie put Rosi in on goal and her shot was saved and then the follow-up hit the side-netting.

At the turnaround, the light was fading and it was only the football that lit the gloom.  Webb again had a shot saved shortly after the restart, then as Gill was shaping to shoot the ball took a nasty bobble, resulting in the effort sailing over the bar.  Clapton pressed the Spurs defence and Kesha had to hold a long shot at the second attempt.

The break through came in the 25th minute of the half, when a foul was awarded by the referee and his shadow trainee.  It was 30 yards out and towards the left touchline, but this was no hindrance for Kelly Herrett, who struck the ball firm and true over the keeper and into the net.

Spurs continued to threaten the Clapton goal and Rosi Webb was again in position to shoot at goal, but the keeper thwarted her once more, before Jackie also made the keeper work to keep the ball out.

It looked as though Orient might grab an equaliser towards the end, but a great piece of defending by Di Gardiner and Kelly Herrett got in tackles to block a Clapton forward, just as she was about to shoot from five yards out.

The game ended with a long run down the left wing by Gill Blackmore and her pull back to Rosi on the edge of the area was powered low towards goal and her hard work for the day without much reward was summed up when she saw the ball rebound back off the foot of the post and then it was cleared away.

While not firing on all cylinders, the win was warmly welcomed after all the tribulations the team has suffered this season.

C.E.F.I.  3    Dagenham & Redbridge  6    
Brentford  1    Long Lane  9    

In the first half, Spurs kicked into a heavy wind and uphill in conditions which were always going to be difficult, with Brentford playing some neat attacking football at the start with Tottenham side still trying to settle.  The Bees were rewarded with a goal in the 11th minute, when, after some neat approach play, a vicious shot from the edge of the box left debut keeper Laura May no chance of saving. 

A few minutes later and Brentford were awarded a corner that was well taken and ended up in the back of the Spurs net to extend their lead to 2-0 with just 14 minutes gone.

Spurs rallied and started to play some neat attacking football, bringing off a number of saves from the Brentford keeper, including one effort that the home defence somehow cleared off the line.  Using the wind as their 12th player, Brentford pinned Spurs into their own half, bringing out a good save from Laura in goal.  With the Ladies becoming more accustomed to the conditions, a Brentford free kick was cleared with a Gill Blackmore header and good link up play by Dom Clarke and Kerry Daniells on the left saw Kerry bear down on goal and shoot into the corner. This pulled one goal back on the half hour.

Some five minutes later Spurs drew level following further pressure, leaving Jackie Fearon the opportunity to shoot past the keeper into the net to bring the scores level at 2-2 and in the remainder of the half, Spurs continued to pressure the Brentford defence, forcing the keeper into a number of saves.

Into the second half with the wind now in their favour, Spurs took full advantage and the home keeper was again called into action to pull off a number of saves from Jackie, Rosi Webb and Samrawit Bereket as Tottenham pushed forward to win the game.

Then following some good wing play from Samrawit, she picked out a pass to Jackie, who ran down the wing and pulled the ball back to Rosi on the edge of the box.  The Spurs striker met the ball first time and shot 'Defoe like' into the back of the net to give Tottenham the lead 3-2.  Five minutes later Rosi netted her second goal to put the match beyond doubt at 4-2.

For the rest of the match, it was all Spurs, with any potential breakaways from Brentford being snuffed out by a well marshalled defence.  Half an hour into the second half, Samrawit scored to make it 5-2, followed by another goal from Jackie to make it 6-2, with Rosi rounding off on the 90 minute mark to make the final score 7-2 and complete her hat trick.

This was a very good victory in difficult conditions, which bodes well for the future and long term development of the team.

Jackie Fearon

League Cup
Acton Sports Club  4     Hendon  0    
Dynamo North London  1    Redbridge Wanderers  3    
Thurrock & Tilbury  0    Hackney Women  1    

Tottenham pressed from the start and matched third place Long Lane, with Jackie Fearon and Rosi Webb testing their keeper, but Kelly Herrett was alert to break up a couple of breaks by the opponents.

It was somewhat against the run of play when Long Lane broke away to score right on half-time, even though Laura May in the Tottenham goal pulled off a very good save to the first effort, before the rebound was netted.

The second half was a scrappy affair with the officious referee booking seven players and awarding a penalty to Long Lane shortly after the restart that made it 2-0.

The pressure that Spurs exerted on the Long Lane defence failed to produce a crack and it was only when a defender picked up the ball thinking a free-kick had been given that a way through was found.  Even then, it took a twice taken penalty by Rosi Webb to get Spurs on the score-sheet.  Meroulla Lazarou went on near the end to add to the Spurs attack but with no luck.

The visitors were given another spot-kick near the end, but they could not convert it and with the late pressure coming from Spurs, they hung on for a narrow win.

Brentford  -    Hendon  -    
Dagenham & Redbridge  -    
London Womens  -    C.E.F.I.  -    

Spurs played downhill in the first half and soon had the ball in the net but after Gill Blackmore had dinked the ball over a defender, Rosi Webb's finish was ruled out for offside.  An eighth minute 25 yard free-kick was awarded to Spurs and up stepped dead-ball expert Kelly Herrett to fire in a fierce drive that the keeper did well to tip onto the bar and as the ball rebounded, it would not come down for Gill to get a shot on goal.

The goal had been coming and Webb's disallowed effort was a precursor of things to come as, with ten minutes on the clock, good work on the right wing by Samrawit Bereket opened up a chance for Rosi to fire a high shot past the goalie from the edge of the area to give Tottenham the lead.

Garston hit back and with their first threatening moment, Laura May was called upon to produce a good stop as the home forward ran through on goal, but was thwarted by the Tottenham keeper's rush from her line in the 27th minute.  Six minutes later, Spurs produced a good move with defender Dom Clarke playing a ball into Rosi, who laid it off to Gill, who's 20 yard shot was saved.  As half-time approached a long clearance by captain Herrett saw the Garston keeper time her run out just right to nick the ball off Rosi's foot, just outside the penalty area.

The break gave both sides the chance to take on water and shade from the blazing sun.  The second half started with Garston winning a succession of corners, but failing to make anything from them and Spurs set about soaking up the pressure.  The referee gave a free-kick to the home side on 67 minutes when Kelly blocked the run of the Garston substitute and the resulting effort was well-hit, but Laura made sure she got everything behind the ball, even though she could not hold it.  The defence cleared the ball away before a Garston player could react.

As Garston began to tire, Tottenham started to make more forward advances.  With the hill against them, this was tough, but their ability to get the ball down and run with it made inroads into the Purples' defence.  Fifteen minutes were left when Samrawit made a great run from inside her own half to fire a shot at goal that the keeper did well to just about tip around the post, damaging her hand from the force of the shot in the process.

Again, this was a warning to the home side that was not heeded, as five minutes later Rosi broke on the right.  Tricking her way into the area, she shot on goal and the keeper made a good block, but the ball flew out left to Geena Gordon, who had a very good game causing problems for the Garston defence all game.  Geena played the ball into Gill near the penalty spot and her determination took her through two tackles and she shot home past the goalie to make it 2-0.

Samrawit was finding lots of space on the right wing now and her run to the bye-line saw her drill in low across the face of goal, but nobody was on hand to convert the inviting ball in front of goal.  Garston almost got a consolation when Laura scuffed a clearance from a back-pass straight to a forward, but she redeemed herself with a catch from the resulting shot.  As time ticked away, Spurs pushed towards the Garston goal again and good work by Gill Blackmore set up Rosi with a final chance, but it went narrowly wide.  The final whistle sounded soon after and Spurs were through to the semi-final, where they will travel to Long Lane.

Dagenham & Redbridge  5    Battersea  0    
Long Lane  5    Hackney Women  4