Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC -

Reserve Team reports 2005-06

A solid performance with some good passing football saw Spurs Ladies reserves move into second place in the league.

The team knocked the ball about comfortably from the start and an early chance came when the play was switched from left to right leading to a flick on by Faye Callaway to Jessie Richards, who hit a shot that was well saved.  A similar moved followed soon after and Faye capitalised with a shot that went in off the post to give Tottenham the lead.  

The defence were taking the ball forward and when Dom Clarke fed Sam Garner on the right wing, her cross was met by Gill Blackmore, but the resulting shot was off target.  Another move involving Dom and Sam ended with a shot over the bar by Jessie and then an excellent free-kick from Lillie Chapman was tipped onto the post by the keeper.

Brentford's first attack forced a save from keeper Lisa McCabe, but when play moved back to the other end, Gill's corner was knocked on by Faye and the ball ended in the net for 2-0.  This sparked a response from Brentford and Lisa was in action to make a series of saves from shots on goal.  The game changed from the Spurs end to the Brentford end with a few passes from Hannah Charman to Faye and the winger threaded the ball through to Jessie to score the third Spurs goal.

Brentford finally got on the scoresheet through a free-kick that flew into the Tottenham net to make it 3-1 and it stayed that way until the interval, thanks to a save from the Bees keeper as Kerry Daniells latched onto a loose ball from a corner and hit a powerful shot.

The second half saw Spurs quick out of the blocks and Dom, Gill and Sam linked for the latter to shoot, but her shot was blocked for a corner.  With the pace of the Tottenham attack troubling Brentford, it was no surprise when Jessie raced through to shoot in the fourth Spurs goal and then, when she was substituted by Katie Taylor, she took over the scoring role with her first senior goal for the club to make the score 5-1.

Not content with scoring, Katie then hit a shot that brought another save from the visiting keeper, but as the ball popped up, Hannah chested the ball over the line.  It soon became 7-1, with Faye playing a perceptive pass to Gill, who planted her shot into the net.

Brentford were determined to keep battling to the end and produced a move that ended with a shot over the bar, but when a Kerry Daniells shot was deflected near the end, it fell kindly to the feet of Lauren Wedderburn, who was on as a sub and she slotted the ball away for her first senior goal and it wrapped up the scoring at 8-1.

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

Harpenden Res.  4      Enfield 3rds.  1      
QPR Reserves  3     Long Lane Res.  1    
Hendon Reserves  2   West Ham Youth  3     

-

Spurs Reserves travelled to East London to meet West Ham Youth and came away disappointed with the single point from the draw.

Tottenham started brightly and a good run by Sam Garner saw a cross into the area just evade Gill Blackmore, today playing in an unaccustomed forward role.  Spurs had the majority of good chances in the first half, with the midfield players working very well together, but failed to capitalise on them and West Ham hit back with a shot that went just wide.  Lillie Chapman won a header that found Gill and her shot went just over, but this was the tale of the first half.

Changing round, the wind was in the Spurs faces, but it did work to their advantage of the side when playing forward passes that were held up by the gusty breeze.  Dom Clarke hit a free-kick that dropped in the West Ham area and Faye Callaway fired a shot over the bar.

Faye was a threat to the West Ham defence with a little dink over the keeper as she came out that hit the post and bounced to a defender, who cleared it off the line.  Dom's free-kick routine worked later in the half, when Kerry Daniells got on the end of it and slotted the ball home to give Tottenham the lead.

West Ham were desperate to get back into the game and Lisa McCabe in the Spurs goal pulled off a number of good saves to deny them an equaliser.  However, the home side broke away and netted a shot to pull the score back to 1-1 and the game finished honours even, with both sides giving a good account of themselves on the day.

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

Brentford Res.  3     QPR Reserves  4      
Long Lane Res.  2    Hendon Reserves  4   

Other results : - 

Brentford Res.  0     West Ham Youth  9     
QPR Reserves  20 (Twenty)      Enfield 3rds.  0      

After the two minutes silence for Remembrance Day at the start fo this match, Spurs Reserves made a quiet start to the game.

Although they had a couple of lively breaks, there was no end product to their build-up play, with Sam Garner providing an enticing cross, but there were no takers of the opportunity.  Hannah Charman made good ground on the left and drew the keeper to set up Mel Berry, but her shot was just wide.

As the quality of the Tottenham play broke up, Long Lane capitalised and put pressure on the Spurs defence, but their one effort on goal was well saved by Lisa McCabe.

The lacklustre end to the first half carried over half-time and the home side put the ball firmly into the Tottenham half as the second period begun.  However, with about 70 minutes gone, Sam slipped a through ball to Hannah, who took her chance to put it past the Long Lane keeper and make it 1-0 to Tottenham.

This gave the side some confidence to play and a long ball from Kerry Daniells picked out Jessie Richards and she scored the second goal after rounding the keeper.

Long Lane were spurred into action and produced an attack that Lisa reacted to well to keep out, but with spaces appearing, a through ball to Hannah saw her finish neatly for her second and Tottenham's third to wrap up the points from this match. 

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

Brentford Res.  0     Harpenden Res.  8      
Enfield 3rds.  0      Hendon Reserves  8     
West Ham Youth  5     QPR Reserves  1     

Spurs knew this going to be a tough battle with local rivals Enfield 3rds.   

Tottenham started off well and two minutes into the game, Dom Clarke took a shot at the Enfield keeper who saved well.  Spurs kept piling on the pressure with the Enfield keeper making some excellent saves.  Twelve minutes into the match, Spurs should have been a least three goals up, with good play from the midfield to the forwards, but again the Enfield keeper was there to make sure that we weren't able to score.

Finally, Spurs got the break they needed when Faye Callaway received the ball just outside the 18 yard box and she dribbled forward and scored with a hard shot into the bottom corner of the goal.  The lead did not last long, as Enfield were awarded a free kick and it ended up as a goal bringing the score 1-1.

Spurs immediately took back control when Faye received a through ball and slots it into the net to restore the lead at 2-1.  Sam Garner hit shot soon after and the keeper fielded it comfortably and she was tested soon after, when Dom made a run through the middle to fire in a shot.  A free-kick for a foul on Mel Berry saw Faye play the ball on for Sam to shoot, but once more it was saved.  Not to be denied, Tottenham extended the lead with Faye completing her hat-trick by slotting the ball expertly past the Enfield goalie and it was soon four when a through ball by Dom was played through Sam and Jessie Richards for Faye to leave the keeper helpless with her - and Tottenham's - fourth of the game.

The Enfield keeper was being kept warm on a bitterly cold morning, as Jenny Curtis latched onto a loose ball, strode forward and hit a shot that was touched onto the bar.  Jessie Richards made it 5-1, when Faye's cross was set up by Hannah Charman for Jessie to rifle home to leave Spurs comfortably ahead at the break.

A short corner routine just after the interval saw Faye knock the ball onto Lillie Chapman, who netted her first senior goal for the club, but she left the play shortly after with a hamstring pull to be replaced by Beth Richards.  The attacking didn't stop and Mel played the ball forward to Faye and her ball to Sam saw her float the ball across and into the to net hand corner to make it 7-1.  This was followed by Hannah Charman hitting a shot that was blocked, but Sam seized on the chance to put the ball away for another Tottenham goal and she then made way for Rebecca Andrews to come on.

Mel Berry made a forward run and hit a shot from outside the penalty area, which the keeper saved, but in the next attack, Faye took the ball around the keeper, but it seemed as though she had taken the ball too far.  As it looked like it was going out of play, the Spurs winger slid the ball into the bottom corner of the net to make it 9-1.

Katie Taylor, a substitute for Jessie, knocked on a pass and chased after it to hit a shot on target, but the keeper managed to get hands to it and keep it out.  Rebecca put in a very good run down the right wing and with time to pick her shot, she buried the ball into the net to complete a 10-1 win for Spurs Reserves in a fine performance.

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

West Ham Youth  7     Brentford Res.  2     

Spurs had to fight for their point despite taking a lead in this match away to Queens Park Rangers reserves.

There was two minutes silence to mark the passing away of George Best prior to the match and in chilly conditions, the game started off scrappily.  However, from the first good move of the match, Kerry Daniells picked out a through pass to Jessie Richards, who ran on to slot the ball home to give Tottenham a 1-0 lead.

Dom Clarke then gave Faye Callaway an opportunity and her shot was saved by the QPR keeper, before Athena Yennaris provided Faye with another chance that this time went wide.  Hannah Charman was getting in some good tackles in midfield and winning the ball, she passed to Faye and then on to Lillie Chapman, who brought a good catch from the Rangers goalie.

Rangers started to move into the Spurs half and after breaking through the Tottenham midfield, they scored to level the scores at 1-1.  It was almost end-to-end stuff, with a mistake letting in Faye, who set up Jessie, but her shot was kept out and with play switching to the other end, a QPR shot that hit the post was converted on the rebound to put them 2-1 ahead before the break.  Only some good saves from Lisa McCabe in the Tottenham goal stopped the deficit becoming larger before the half-time whistle.

Spurs had not done themselves justice in the first half and were denied what seemed like a penalty when a Rangers defender handled, but nothing was given.  Good link-up play between Kerry and Hannah produced a shot from Faye, but it was off target and then Hannah had a great run herself to go around three players, but once more the finish did not match the approach play.

However, when the next opportunity fell to Faye, she rifled the ball into the top corner to bring the score back to 2-2.  As time ran out, Jenny Curtis knocked a pass from defence through to Jessie, but she was unable to get a shot on goal and despite some good passing from the Spurs Ladies, the Rangers defence held firm and the points were shared.

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

Enfield 3rds.  0      Brentford Res.  1     
West Ham Youth  9     Long Lane Res.  2      

A second half turnaround saw Spurs salvage a point from this clash with Hendon Reserves.

Hendon had the early chances with a couple of breaks where the ball was lifted over Lisa McCabe in the Spurs goal, but they both went wide of the goal and in Tottenham's first threatening attack, Sam Garner broke down the left wing on 16 minutes and her low cross found Faye Callaway, who could not get sufficient power into her shot.  This was followed shortly after by Lillie Chapman's 25 yard drive that picked out the goalkeeper.

The visitors took the lead in the 25th minute, when they finally beat Lisa with a shot over her head, but Spurs forced a good save from the Hendon goalie just before half time with a 20 yard shot.

Spurs had lacked their usual passing fluidity, with Hendon closing them down quickly and forcing the play.  Seven minutes after the interval, Hendon extended their lead.  Reduced temporarily to ten players while Jenny Curtis was receiving treatment off the pitch, the ball came into an area where she would have been and it was tucked past McCabe to make it 0-2.

With 70 minutes on the clock, the arrears were reduced with Kerry Daniells picking out Sam Garner with a long ball and the Spurs striker ran on to stroke the ball low past the advancing keeper.  Three minutes after the goal, it was nearly all square when a free-kick saw Dom Clarke get on the end of it and lift the ball over the goalie, but was disappointed to see it bounce back off the crossbar.

In the very next attack, Dom was involved again, as she nudged the ball on to Sam in the area and her shot was charged down, but the ball popped up for Faye to react first with an opportunist volley past the diving Hendon keeper to level the score.

With their tails up, Spurs pressed on and looked the more likely winner, with Mel Berry going close after good work by Sam and Dom, but the match finished with honours even in what was a fiercely fought, but good-spirited game between two closely matched sides.

Other results : - 

Long Lane Res.  9      Brentford Res.  0     
West Ham Youth  5      Enfield 3rds.  1      

A further win in the League set Spurs in second place in the table to consolidate their good run of form.

The team started well and it wasn't long before Faye Callaway crossed the ball in to Sam Garner, who took the ball down and shot into the net via the goal post to put Spurs one goal ahead.  The visitors hit back and threatened, but Lisa McCabe rushed from goal to clear the danger.

Midfielder Hannah Charman was prompting play and it was her pass that put Faye in to slide in to lob the bal over the advancing QPR keeper to make it 2-0.  With Hannah and Beth Richards causing Rangers problems up the flanks, the crosses into the area were invitingly flying across the goalmouth.  Lisa had to be alert once more, when QPR broke away and her well timed charge from goal produced a good tackle on the Rangers forward.

Before the half-time whistle, Dom Clarke set up Faye, who shot wide and Faye then became the supplier, as she laid the ball to Kerry Daniells and she put a shot in on goal that brought a one handed save from the keeper.  

Into the second half, Lillie Chapman shaved the post with an effort from outside the area and then, when play changed to the other end, Rangers reduced the deficit with a chip over the Spurs keeper to make it 2-1.

Spurs are a resolute team these days and Beth's right wing run saw her pull the ball back to the on-running Mel Berry to bury in the top corner of the net to restore the two goal margin.  Katie Taylor then replaced Beth and looked lively from the moment she entered play.  A through ball from Lillie saw Katie latch onto it and she slipped the ball past the keeper to make it 4-1 and before the end, the same combination produced almost an action replay as Katie's second of the game concluded the scoring and earned Spurs a 5-1 win.

JUNE CLARKE

Other results : - 

Long Lane Res.  0      West Ham Youth  4     
Hendon Reserves  1      Harpenden Res.  5