First Team Match Previews

2003-04

Over the summer months we held a very successful trials day and such was the response we are able to field a whole new squad next season and this will be a very young squad, but, with some exceptional talent, we will not only challenge for the Greater London Reserve Division 2  title, but we hope to entice other clubs with development / academy sides to play fixtures throughout the coming year !

As a result of this we have an untried team of trialists and felt the best way to assess their potential was to throw them in at the deep end together in our first pre-season friendly .

Therefore we see a totally new Spurs Ladies team take on Abbey Rangers of the South-East Counties League - Division 1 away on Sunday with First team manager Pete Skinner at the helm.

This is a unique approach for our warm-up to the season, as it is a totally new team, but there is some exceptional talent there and expectation levels are high, especially as we know nothing about our opponents and must be prepared for a tough game.  While we step into the unknown to start our new season in this manner away in Surrey, it is also a very exciting time, because we have attracted some gifted players in the close season and this is a great way of finding which will become the future stars in the women's game.

We played Carterton two seasons back but somewhat underestimated them and saw a strong Rangers side take the honours.  This season we have worked hard in our preparation and know that we will need to be at the top of our game.

Our pre season trials have been an overwhelming success and it is a very exciting time to be involved with Spurs Ladies but we need to keep the momentum going and this will be our strongest test to date and one that the ladies know will give a good indication as to our progress.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Carterton for their hospitality and wish them the very best of luck for the game and the coming season.

We know nothing about our opponents in our last pre-season friendly, with our season kicking off the following week in the Women's FA Cup.  Keynsham are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this season and have kindly invited Spurs to join the celebrations with this special curtain raiser.

We have a full squad travelling and after all our pre-season preparations, we should see the squad that surely will be challenging for the Greater London League championship this season.  After coming so close for the last few seasons, there is a real feeling that with the new summer signings, we should have the strength in depth that has been missing of late to put in a serious challenge for the top spot this time around.

Directions.
From junction 30 of M25 take the A13 to Tilbury,  take third turn off A 1089 for Tilbury.
After about 1 mile take turn off for Chadwell St Mary, at T-junction turn right for Tilbury.  At roundabout turn right for Tilbury.  When you reach houses take first right into Chadfields. 
For map, click here 

Our pre-season preparations couldn't have gone better, with some very hard work on the training ground and some solid displays in the pre season round of friendlies going through them winning every game, including some tough tests, showing how hard the Ladies have worked.

The only sour note is new centre back Monica McPeak picking up an injury at Keynsham last Sunday forcing her to miss the first game but should be fit for the following week.

We are still awaiting international clearance on some of our other superb summer signings, but will still travel with a strong squad which will hopefully be able to see us through to the next round against London League Division 2 opposition.

The Ladies kick off their league programme this weekend with an away fixture against Edgware Town Ladies. 

Although a new name in the league this year, we should see some familiar faces, as this is last seasons Colney Heath side playing under the Edgware banner.  This means the Ladies are in for a tough afternoon as we know Colney of old are a physical, 'never say die' side that have always pushed us to the limit and although we managed to take the honours in both fixtures last season, Colney have much the better record against Spurs in recent years.

We should see a similar squad to the one that played so well in the FA Cup at the weekend easing past Thurrock and Tilbury, with Monica McPeak recovering from injury to be available for her league debut and Lorraine Sparrow back after missing last week's game to family commitments.  We still await FA clearance for our Nigerian trio, but hope to have Kehnide Ogunneye cleared in time for her debut.

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This week sees a North London derby with the Ladies travelling to Haringey in the FA Cup.

After some very big wins in recent weeks and the Ladies playing some superb football  we recognise that Haringey Borough will be our toughest test of the season to date and it will take a big performance to see us through to the first round proper for the first time in three seasons.

Spurs have a huge injury worry with Zoella Freeman damaging ankle ligaments in the game against London Women and Monica McPeak after playing a fantastic debut at Edgware pulling a calf muscle in the subsequent training session, but Sam Farnum should return after a short break due to family reasons.

After a dream start to the season, Spurs have a long hard month ahead of them starting on Sunday with table topping Leyton Orient and drawing an old adversary in Dagenham and Redbridge in the next round of the W.F.A. Cup.

We should have a full squad to choose from with Zoella shaking off her ankle injury and the only doubt is Monica McPeak who is still not back in training after her recent knee injury.

Leyton gave us a strong test at home last season but we learnt things about them and used this to our benefit in the away victory.  Without a doubt, this and the following week's league meeting with Dagenham will go a long way to seeing who is going to take the honours in the Premier Division this season.

This week sees the ladies having to pick themselves up from seeing us dominate the clash with table topping Orient, only to be robbed of points by the referee making in his words " an honest mistake" by making us retake the free kick that equalised the scoring, because the opposition wall encroached the ten yards?

Harsh, but hopefully in the course of a season these things will even out and we relish this week's encounter with Dagenham in our league fixture, which in itself will be a preview to the FA Cup 1st round tie set for two weeks time.

We travel with a full squad Monica McPeak proving fit after coming through training this week with no problems.

Always a tough fixture and with the Daggers having the upper hand in recent meetings, Spurs have really worked hard in training to make sure we keep with the pace and challenge for that single play off place at the end of the season.

This weekend the Ladies play host to Edgware.

We played Edgware in our first league fixture of the season and ran out 10-2 winners, but that was no reflection on the game as the score and play was level until two Edgware players were dismissed by the referee midway into the first half.  This turned the game, but it will be a different story this weekend and the ladies know it will be very important to leave the events of the previous game behind them and and concentrate on the task ahead with a win vital if we are to make a serious challenge on the title this season.

This Sunday, the Ladies travel to Dagenham for our second meeting in three weeks - this time in the WFA Cup 1st round.

The Ladies cruised into the first round proper this season with preliminary round wins against Thurrock & Tilbury and Haringey Borough.

It's honours even so far this season, with a thrilling 3-3 draw in our last meeting, but the ladies have an extra incentive to win this tie.  With this week being "Wear It Pink" week at the Breast Cancer Campaign, the players have opted to donate any prize money earned in the WFA Cup to this cause.

Manager Pete Skinner is confident that the superb playing surface of the Glyn Hopkin stadium will suit the Spurs passing game and hopes that this fixture is as hard fought and entertaining as recent fixtures with Dagenham.

The Ladies will enter the weekend on a high after dispatching Dagenham in the WFA Cup last week.  It was a deserved win with Spurs being on top throughout the game and now the Ladies need to concentrate on the more serious business in hand - keeping in touch with run-away leaders Leyton Orient.

Bushey are new to the Premiership and seem to be struggling to keep up with the pace, but many a time have the Spurs Ladies become complacent about fixtures like this and have ended up on the wrong end of a shock defeat !

So with this in mind Spurs enter this fixture in a confident, but wary mood.  There are injury worries to midfield workhorse Gill Blackmore and the scorer of the FA Cup winner Latoyah Johnson and with Lorraine Sparrow on holiday there may be some gaps to fill in the squad, but the good news is that at long last we have attained international clearance for the superb Nigerian midfield star Abidemi Andero.

This Sunday sees the ladies continue their WFA Cup run with an away second round draw at Queens Park Rangers.

This fixture will stir some distant memories for those acquainted with the men's game but in this Women's FA Cup tie there will be no replay with extra time and penalties being the order of the day.

The ladies are on top goal scoring form at present and come into this game on the back of some impressive results but will certainly start as underdogs to a Q.P.R. side from the South East Combination League and who not so long ago were playing their football in the National Southern League.

We have a full squad available for the weekend with Lorraine Sparrow returning from holiday and Gill Blackmore being rested after a bruising tackle the previous week is now back in full training and we should see the return to the squad of Gemma Coots following a long term absence.

This Sunday, the Ladies face an away trip to Redbridge Raiders.

The Ladies will certainly have to be on top form to keep up their title hopes, as this Redbridge side has improved greatly in recent seasons ... with Spurs only managing to take one point from the six available in last season's two league meetings.

Also, we have several injury worries, with Kerry Daniells and Leah Flintham both doubtful, but the strength of our squad this season will ensure the Ladies push the Raiders all the way, in what will be an interesting clash.

This weekend sees the ladies hope to continue their recent run of good results with a trip to Eltham to take on London Women.

This year has seen a much improved London Women side and Spurs will need to be on top form to continue keeping up with the leading pack, in what, once again, is a very tight league and will be decided by the odd slip up.

There are no major injury worries at present with  Daniells recovering from a knock at last week's victory against table topping Hendon and Farnum and Yonatan returning from bouts of the 'flu.  

Only the suspended Oshodi will be missing from the line up.

This week sees the Ladies make the trip to Bushey Rangers, with Spurs flying high on top of the premier league and Bushey finding it hard as newcomers at the foot of the table.

This means nothing to the ladies though as anything can happen over 90 minutes and we have been in this position so often in recent years only to fall at the final hurdle so we are treating every game as a cup final at present.

We are fully aware that with Leyton Orient and Dagenham and Redbridge being our next two fixtures after this the league will be decided by the end of the month and although Orient still look favourites for the championship Spurs know that we must keep being consistent and hope Orient hit a sticky patch as has happened so often in the past to us.

We have no injury worries but will be missing our strike duo of Latoyah Johnson and Zoella Freeman until the end of the month.

Although Spurs are currently top of the League and are in top form, this game could well decide the eventual champions with Orient being unbeaten and Spurs losing in a very close and controversial home game to Orient earlier in the season.

This weekend sees the Ladies without Latoyah Johnson and Zoella Freeman once again, but sees the return to action of scoring sensation Kehinde Ogunneye.

This weekend weather permitting the Ladies travel to Fairlop Waters to take on Redbridge Raiders.

After last weeks disappointing defeat to Dagenham the ladies are keen to make amends and put in a decent effort against a team that held them to a draw in the corresponding fixture last season.

We will have a strong squad and are currently in the process of strengthening even further showing that even though we have fallen off the pace this term we are a club with ambition and will put in a strong finish to the season.

This weekend the Ladies travel to Bushey Rangers in Watford.

We should be fielding a strong team with Johnson and Freeman back in training following their extended winter break and with the side on top form the team are hoping for a strong performance.

The only real injury worries are Daniells who faces a late fitness test and goal keeper Toni Munro who is doubtful after twisting an ankle in training this week but with the very capable and experienced Hills waiting to step in, it shouldn't present a problem to the team.

The Ladies are back on track with a superb performance last Sunday and now face Thurrock and Tillbury in the League cup.

We have already met Thurrock earlier in the season in the FA Cup  where Spurs achieved a convincing 11-1 victory.  But that does not man we will be taking anything for granted though and will show our utmost respect for our opponents and will be fielding a very similar line up to the side that dispatch fellow Premier side Bushey Rangers 10-1 at the weekend.

We will be without Kerry Daniells this weekend but Lorraine Sparrow returns and will be a straight replacement for Kerry.  Toni Munro is still doubtful but Keshe Heaven had a fine game between the sticks last weekend and should step in again if needed

This week sees a free week for the Ladies, so is an ideal chance to judge the progress of our current youth players with a friendly fixture against the Arsenal Girls Academy U16 side.

We know that our youth squad includes players up to the U19 age group, but is predominantly made up from 16 year old players who have progressed through the ranks together and they will be up against what is accepted as the very best of academy sides in the country.  We hope that the game will give us an idea of how far we have progressed with this young squad and how far we have to go before we can mix it with the elite of women's football.

Youth team manager Dave Green will be in charge for the game, with the team comprising mostly of his Greater London Reserve Division 2 Championship winning side, with some of the younger up and coming reserve players and players that have been on the fringes of the first team this season.

Manager Pete Skinner will be making his decision on the squad at the last minute possible, as he is currently sweating on fitness issues among some of his key players.  There is also concern about the pitch at Wembley, which was played on by the Under-14s last weekend and it is reported top be hard and dusty.  This might mean that Spurs have to play a sweeper to cover any problems of this nature.  However, with rain forecast, it might soften the turf up, but then with the Sue Sharples Memorial Trophy being played before this match, it would be preferable if there was not too much rain in the coming days.