Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC -

First Team match reports 2006-07

JUNE CLARKE

Hendon 1     Long Lane  2
Crowborough  0          Bexhill  2
UKP  2     London Women  5
Gravesend & N  2     Woking  1
Horley Town  0     Lewes  10

Tottenham started brightly and Faye Callaway was denied in the first minute after good build-up work on the right wing by Claire Singh.  However, two minutes later Jendayi Castillo seized on a ball in the box to lob the keeper to give Spurs the lead.

Lacey Amato was called into action to make a good save and Rosi Webb was on hand to knock the rebound away from the goalmouth.  Following the award of a free-kick, Lacey made another good save, but with 23 minutes on the clock, some loose possession on the edge of the Spurs area saw Garston fire the equaliser from long range.

Kelly Herrett was running out of defence and took a heavy foul, but avoided serious injury in her fall when she demonstrated her gymnastic skills with a perfect forward roll.  The ensuing free-kick was cleared, but in the second phase of play, Carly Snell sent in a high deep cross, which Jendayi missed, but this confused the Garston keeper, who could only watch as the ball bounced in at the far post.

The Spurs goal came under pressure and Lacey had to make some good saves and also took a couple of heavy knocks in doing so, but in injury time, a header from a corner went over her head to make it 2-2 at the break.

Into the second half, Spurs were passing the ball around well, but lack the decisive final pass.  Substitute Kerry Daniells, who replaced Chanelle Breen at the interval, took a heavy blow to her head, but got on and battled well, as did Faye up front.  Kat Clifton showed good skill on the edge of the area, but her shot lacked power and shortly after, a scramble in the Garston goalmouth saw Kat, Faye and Jendayi all denied by blocks.

As the remainder of normal time was played out, the match became an end-to-end affair.  Garston flashed a cross that flew across the face of goal and only need a breath to go in, but Spurs escaped.  Breaking to the other end, Kat went on a mazy run and her shot was well saved.  Right at the end, Jendayi put in a low shot near the post and the keeper looked as though it would be an easy save, but she fumbled the ball and only just got back before the ball crossed the line to leave the score 2-2 at the final whistle.

So, into extra time.  With both sides tiring under the hot sun and having suffered a number of injuries during the game, Rosi put a free-kick into the area, where Faye got a touch on it and the keeper did well to palm it past the post.  All the chances seemed to be falling Faye's way and she headed a long ball into the keeper's hands rather than over her head, as she had intended.  The first period saw Spurs camped in the Garston half and Rosi had a free-kick well saved.  Faye heard the news that West Ham were 0-1 down and was involved in an incident which saw her and the opponent, who lashed out at her, both receive yellow cards.  Was her anger due to the news she had received ?

However, she put this behind her to react well and hit a shot that shaved the post in the last minute of the first half of extra time.

Carly Snell, who had taken a number of knocks during the game, was replaced for the final period of extra time by Dom Clarke and in a tactical switch, Katie Taylor came on for Jendayi.  An early free-kick to Garston was floated into the area and Lacey punched it out, but he ball was blasted back into the roof of the net by to give Garston the lead for the first time in the match.

Rosi moved into central midfield and played a peach of a ball down the right wing to Kat, who was fouled, but nothing was given.  Halfway through the half, another high shot saw Garston extend their lead and after Gill Blackmore, who had an outstanding game, made a clearance off the line which would have killed Spurs off, a corner was swung into the net at the far post to make the score 2-5 in the dying moments.

In a game Spurs should have won, the final result was a disappointment.

MEL BERRY

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The second half was a little bit more of an open affair as Spurs tried to push for the equaliser, which at times left us a little exposed at the back and lead to Acton having a few half chances which went high and wide.  Half way through the second half Carly Snell was replaced by Ebony Heath, who came into the midfield and look lively.  For all their hard work up front Faye Callaway and Chanelle Breen could not get a break until ten minutes before the end when
Faye made a darting run down the left side and whipped in a cross which Chanelle tried to meet.  But for the keeper clattering into her which thwarted that attempt on goal, it looked an equaliser all over.

Following on from that Spurs threw everything forward in vain to score, but the game finished with Acton hanging on to their slender lead.
 

DARREN JOHNSON

With goals scored by Ebony Heath, Chanelle Breen, Katie Taylor, Faye Callaway, Kelly Herrett and Jendayi Castillo, the finishing was good and the team enjoyed the confidence of being able to play their natural game.

Long Lane  6     Bexhill United  1    

Turning round with the score still at 0-0, Spurs took the lead mid-way through the second half from Samrawit Bereket, who pounced to score from a tight angle.

Not long after the goal, Bexhill came back at the Spurs defence and grabbed an equaliser, then shortly after they took the lead.

To compound things, Tottenham then had Faye Callaway sent off for a second yellow card, which meant the Ladies were really up against it, especially with the crowd on our backs.  For some reason, Bexhill had a really big turn out, but this only served to bring the Tottenham girls closer together and it was this togetherness which saw us score the equaliser through a Kelly Herrett free kick with 10 minutes to go.

Bexhill were hanging on for the draw as Spurs kept on pushing for the winner right up until the final whistle.

DARREN JOHNSON

Hendon  2     Lewes  4     

Woking  3        Long Lane  5     

Spurs started the game in a very positive manner with Rosi Webb and Geena Gordon controlling the midfield.  All the way through out the first half Tottenham had most of the possession, but could not put the ball in the back of the opposition's net, new girl Shadine Mars looked very lively up front causing the defence all sorts of problems.  At the back Spurs looked solid with the established back four comfortable with each other and they were working as unit all the way through the game.

The only goal of the game came midway through the first half when Long Lane hit a hopeful high shot that seemed to be going wide, when it hit a divot in the ground and some how bounced on to the post which completely fooled our goalkeeper, who tried in vain to keep it out but the ball fell kindly for a visiting forward to shoot home.  Shortly after this Claire Singh made an amazing run down the right wing which lead to us winning a corner, from which we were
awarded a penalty for a handball in the penalty area.  Unfortunately, we failed to capitalise when Rosi's spot kick was hit straight, but bounced out off the crossbar.

Changes were made in the second half when Ifrah Ahmed came on in a left side position for Kat, Jade also had to come on for the injured Kerry, who had given it her all.

The second half once again saw Spurs dominate the game with some excellent passages of play with great combination between the midfield and strikers.  Chances came but we unable to finish them off and with a bit more luck we could have and should have won the game.

On a final note just like to thank the girls for all their hard work and energy that they put into the game.  If we keep playing like that we will win more games than we lose, I have no doubt about that.  Well done girls.
 

DARREN JOHNSON

UKP  v  Horley Town  Match postponed  - UKP withdrawn from the League.
Bexhill  0    Hendon  3    
Crowborough  2     Woking  5    

Spurs started the game with a flying start, carrying on from last weeks performance we scored with Samrawit Bereket slotting the ball home within two minutes of the kick off, we then scored again when Shadine Mars was put through
with about 12 minutes left of the first half.

Shortly after the interval the Manford team started positively which lead to them winning a corner which then lead to them winning a penalty which they scored to make it 2-1.

Spurs kept their cool and not too long after scored again twice in quick succession to make it 4-1 through Shadine and Ebony Heath.  Manford then had a free kick which they scored to make it 4-2, but the best was saved to last when Rosi curled a 25-yarder into the top corner to make it 5-2 and to put the icing on what was another good performance from the Spurs Ladies, once again well done girls we are getting better as a team every week whilst individual players are improving.
 

DARREN JOHNSON

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