camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

hampstead  5     garston reserves  1    
joybabe  3     kikk  2    
katabella  2     camden town  3    

Probably the worst pitch I have ever seen a ladies game played on brought an absolute thrilling game with the right outcome, as Spurs progessed in the Russell Cup in extra time.

Tottenham's pre-match preparation was very sluggish and uninspiring as Regents Park's lively ladies got ready to do battle looking keen and not one bit sheepish, as they looked on at the team one division above them with no fear.

Spurs started slowly, with the pitch possibly being the reason for this and after a few early scares Spurs jumped into life.  The first half turned into the Spurs attacking show, as every player in the Spurs team (except the keeper) had a shot at Rangers goal.  But among the 20 clear shots at their goal, only Tasha Ademakinwa scored to bring in a half time score of 0-1 to Spurs.

The second half was much the same in the first 20 minutes, as Spurs carved open Rangers time and time again, but no real positive finished off the creative work and slowly the tables started to turn with Regents Park putting a few good attacks with the only real class player they had, their number 23, starting to twist her way into the Spurs final third.  Something was coming, but not a goal in open play as Regents failed to once get behind Spurs.  Then in the 43^rd minute of the half, a low cross come shot hit a Spurs player in the 18-yard box, which was deemed hand ball and Regents Park had their chance to level it up at 1-1 from the penalty spot.

The first period of extra time saw more Spurs attacks at first, then a more open toe to toe slugging match began with the heavy hitters of Spurs firstly pushing, then battering Rangers into the ropes.  Only short sporadic blasts from the home side gave them time to take a breath or two.  Regents Park would not lie down, but the strain was starting to tell.

Spurs found the second half of extra time the toughest section of the tie, as, for the first time in the match, they found themselves pinned in their own half with every moment running out of ideas.  The spurs team fell back deeper, but coped with the light jabs from Regents Park.  Although their persistence was tiring Spurs, the manager called for calm and screamed to them to play.

With time nearly up Spurs put some well worked moves from back to front getting the ball deep into Regents Park's defending third.  With just minutes remaining, Tottenham pressure brought a cluster of corners and each one getting more intense.  With all the Spurs team (except the keeper) in the Regents Park Rangers penalty area, the ball swung in, the defence could not clear and a goal mouth scramble resulted.  The ball popped out to where Shikiera Richards-Lake opened her body, then put her foot round the ball, sweetly striking through the ball, which in turn went through everyone and into the bottom corner of the goal to secure a late winner for Spurs Ladies and to see them through.

Managers Player of the match: Beth Richards.

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

This League Cup match had been arranged on three other dates and cancelled each time, but this time, at the fourth attempt, we got it played.  Fulham Compton is a very good team and in their own league deserves the respect for their position and the players they have are of a very good standard which meant we have had to be at our very best or at the least very resilient.

The latter of the above statement was much more accurate, as we did not play at our best and still carved out a result.

Spurs played the first half into a cutting wind which meant our chances on the attacking front would be few, but they were very troublesome.

The midfield worked very hard working back and supporting the forwards.  This support was more meaningful as the half went on and in the 40^th minute proved vital, as the midfield re-gained a ball and it fell to Sasha Kelly, just inside the Compton penalty area, from where Sasha despatched it into the bottom corner to give Tottenham the lead.

There were a couple more chances in the back end of the half for Spurs.  One when brave Tasha Ademakinwa clashed with the Compton goal keeper and another right on the beam of the half, which was blocked from Charlie Archer's drive.  The half time came with a score-line of 1-0 to Spurs and three subs were brought on to freshen up the team.  On the re-start Spurs got into Compton, but this early flurry had no consistency and Spurs grappled to stay in the tie.

Compton attacked cleverly with pace trying to suck Spurs in and then hitting a long ball behind.  Cheap but effective, keeping the ball till it was time to knock it forward.  The game went from this to Spurs passing and moving, with sweeping, attacking moves from end to end, but not enough of them and there was too much high ball clearing and just swinging at the ball.  However, we still looked good for a goal, until the 80^th minute when a Spurs player stumbled and a mis-hit cross landed kindly to the Compton player, who pushed the ball past the oncoming Polly, watching the ball roll into the far corner of the goal.  1-1.

This woke Spurs up, they rolled up their sleeves and went in search of the winner.  With four minutes remaining Dee Gilbert spotted the Compton keeper off her line and from just outside the area, she lobbed the floundering goalkeeper to seal the win for Spurs.

2-1 to Spurs and that’s how it finished, with not the best performance, but a deserved result.  Compton must feel very hard done by, but I am sure they will be very successful in the rest of the season.

Managers player of the match : Samantha O’Brien

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

This GLRWF League Cup Second Round tie was always going to be a hard one, as MSA are a division above us and with more than just a few players from our last season’s first team.

The most pleasing thing from this game was our performance, the best we had ever played in terms of organisation and patience.

MSA came at us right from the off, but we held up to the onslaught very well and then started to pick it up with flowing attacks and hard running.  This pushed MSA back deep into their own half and kept them at bay. 

Spurs worked very hard in defence as well as attack, but MSA seemed to be putting everything into this game for more than just the prize of going through, but my Spurs Ladies held up the club's honour with a fantastic performance throughout the match only to be undone in the 85^th minute, when a slashed ball flew diagonally to an unmarked player 60 yards away, who did take it down well, drove in on our keeper and kind of spooned it over her body into an empty net.

A 1-0 victory for MSA and through to the next round for them, well done and good luck to them for the future.

My player of the match this week was a hard decision, but Sophie Jackson just shaded it with some great tracking of runners and her attacks showed pace and power; great game.

paul clark

hampstead  0     newham womens  1    
hackney women reserves  1     camden town  7    
kikk  3     katabella  0    

This game has been long awaited as the first meeting away ended in a 4-4 draw with Spurs feeling that they should have won it.

This time we did, but it was a very hard game, as Katabella played a lot of high balls with their midfield consisting of all very tall girls compared to our smaller younger reserve team.

The bruising nature of how they went about the game trying to unsettle the Reserves shows a desperate side to them leading into the final stages of this season, as in recent seasons they have seemed to do well and we expected them to be competing for the title this season.  Clearly now on a re-building process, they will be very hard to play against next season as they develop their new found abilities.

Unfortunately, the well drilled and much disciplined Spurs team was too much for Katabella to handle over 90 minutes and early phases in the game showed what a classy footballing side Spurs are.

Within four minutes Tasha Ademakinwa scored to put us 1-0 up ... then we thought we won it !  Katabella had other ideas and got into their ‘up and under’ style, which left Spurs just slashing at the ball.  The style got them an equalizer ... then we kicked off and Sophie Jackson played a one-two and bombed through, striking the ball through the keeper and into the net.  2-1 Spurs !!

In the closing stages of the half frustrations caused a relapse of concentration and Katabella scored again !!!  2-2 At this early stage, the opposition started to look tired and as we kicked off, Spurs switched on and played a move right out of the top drawer of football genius and Sophie Jackson topped it off again ! ... 3-2 to Spurs.

The style that had rattled Tottenham for only 35 minutes was starting to look flat and things looked settled at the close of the half.

By the time the second half started the body language was clear to see and the Spurs we love to see came to life.  Feeling more confident and playing better flowing football, on the 55^th minute a triple substitution put the final nails in Katabella’s coffin.

Sasha Kelly came on for the much battered and bruised star for the future Dee Gilbert and scored to make it 4-2 ... Sophie Jackson then got her hat-trick ... 5-2 and now THLFC wound up the screw with keep ball, free kick’s and corners galore from waves of attacks.  Amanda O'Neill, who also had come on in the 55^th minute sealed the victory with a stunning header from one of those corners ... 6-2 !

I must give credit to the girls on the second half performance, as they all battled and came out of this scrap with only a few bruises.  To mention all in the bravery and ambition would take several pages, but I will say my player of the match this week is my captain, Mary Griffiths, who lead this team into the fight with her sleeves rolled up and came out with the biggest grin at the end; never giving in or giving up, having faith and belief, never putting a foot wrong in 90 minutes or a word out of place. 

paul clark

camden town  1     kikk  1    
newham womens  2     joybabe  0    
hampstead  2     hackney women reserves  2    

Garston scored after 43 seconds with pressure, not letting our defence settle and forcing mistakes which lead to a deflected goal !  It took Spurs just three minutes to equalize, then by the time it got to 15 minutes the possession and all the good play as well as chances were carved out by Spurs.

Again we showed how resilient we are, mentally as well as physically with Geena Gordon stamping her ability on the game and making this game hers.  Sophie Jackson again showed her powerful running with Charlie Archer rushing around like a terrier - not giving Garston any respite, but even with this great play and the great ability on display we could not get the goal we needed.

At the end of the first half we changed the defence and front line giving Shikiera Richards-Lake and newcomer to the reserves Natalie Arbuckle a run out to help compliment the changes made.  The balance was complete and the second half swung all Spurs way with Leesa Shields swinging crosses from one side and Sophie with also Charlie from the other just terrorizing the Garston back line with probing balls in vital areas.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, it was starting to look like one of those days as we mounted attack after attack, but with more and more invention, then Leesa played a forward ball, got the return and sailed another quality cross over and Tasha Ademakinwa jumped the highest when it mattered most and headed the ball past a floundering Garston keeper!

In over time in the match, the most pleasing goal was Natalie Arbuckle’s as a forward ball had taken her slightly wide, she controlled it well and unlike her previous efforts she did not try to slam the ball into and through the net, but at an acute angle pocked it past the keeper and into the opposite corner for her debut goal.

3-1 Spurs

My player of the match is Charlie archer for her persistent work and positive attitude.

Goal-scorers; Leesa Shields, Tasha Ademakinwa, Natalie Arbuckle

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

The weather played a big part in Spurs Ladies Reserves away game against Newham Womens today with the wind swirling around and the rain battering the players for the first 45 minutes, on such a wet and slippery day some players can be forgiven for mistakes.

This fixture has been hard to pin down, as Newham had seemed to be ducking from facing Spurs so far.  The club had player issues, but not today as the second half proved to be the home team’s day.

The first half was firstly stunned by the sending off of a Spurs player when a caution would have been enough. Then a spot of magic as Leesa Shields corner swung in to the goal directly and put the 10 players of Spurs Ladies ahead.

1-0 to Spurs and Newham still had a good 20 minutes of playing into the horrid weather left, but with two injuries, it should have given at least eight minutes in added time, but surprisingly, the whistle went dead on 45.

Relief for Newham as they set about getting things right for their big comeback !

The second half was uneventful; the biggest thing was the half time substitutions as the game was all about defending in the wind, kicking the ball high and out, throw in after throw in and no clear cut chances until 75 minutes when Newham themselves equalised from a corner as it was their turn to put a swirling incomer that caught the Spurs defence out. 1-1

Newham’s winner came in added time in the second half, the only added time of the game !  As at 90 minutes and 13 second a last ditch flick at the ball just crept wide of the Spurs keeper fingers from an unchallenged cross.

10 seconds later the final whistle was blown.

A bit hard to swallow, but it was bound to happen in this league season, Newham’s home record is very good and a match to our own.  A very good team had beaten us today, but it would have been better to play them in better conditions, as the wind made a massive difference.

Our first league defeat of the season, but we are still in with a shout of silverware and promotion.

My player of the match is Laura Gardener who battled right till the end.

paul clark

kikk  3     hampstead  0    

Hampstead needing a win to help drag themselves out of a relegation spot really got stuck into Spurs and hassled for everything, shouted for everything and looked first to every first and second ball in the first half, if they had played like this all season they would not be fighting to stay in the division.

And fight they did, the last few games have been about us coming to terms with different tactics employed and reacting to them, modifying our game to maintain our season, last week we were very unlucky with seconds to go, but this week we just did not react.

The Tottenham game was solid and not once in the 90 minutes did Hampstead’s 4-5-1 formation create enough punch to threaten Spurs, but also our chances created lacked conviction.  The game brought few outstanding points apart from both teams hitting each other’s crossbar, both from free kicks.

The second half proved more fruitful for Spurs going downhill !  As our link up play and balance was improved Spurs created more chances and should have gone into the lead on 75 minutes when the Hampstead centre back fell over giving, for a split second, a one on one with the keeper, but the Spurs striker then fell over !  This was typical of our luck. 

A string of free kicks and plenty of added time gave nothing, but a stalemate with toothless Hampstead pushing and shoving up the park, even tackling each other and Spurs stuttering attacks missing that final ball or a taken opportunity to shoot.

The title may just have a twist at the end, but Hampstead will need a miracle to stay up and I hope they get it.

Player of the match : -  Beth Richards

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
kikk  -    
katabella  -    

A real David verses Goliath encounter as 11 player All Stars took to the field on a picture postcard Sunday afternoon, it took the mighty whites of Spurs just three minutes to score as Sasha Kelly received a central ball that she struck low and hard from just inside the 18 yard line to start the ball rolling. 

1-0 then turned into 2-0 just seven minutes later when Natalie Arbuckle got the first of a well deserved hat-trick and my player of the match for her great efforts on this day, her second was a well worked little number with a defence splitting ball with her third illustrating that patience does prevail in a crowded penalty box !

The win was good for moral and the game was also a chance to see one or two players for a full 90 minutes.  Dee Gilbert crowned her 90 minutes with a well taken goal, as so did our ever dependable Leesa Shields, Tasha got off the bench rolled up her sleeves and smashed the net twice in two minutes to show why she is the reserves number one striker.

With impressive performances from Amanda O’Neill who put on the number 1 shirt and played as always, to her very best in any position and Geena Gordon, our captain for the day, gave the reserves an extra bounce throughout the game.

We wish the London All Stars the best of luck in the rest of the season and their attempts of promotion. 

Player of the match: Natalie Arbuckle

paul clark

rb falcons  3     westside  2    
newham womens  6     bromleian  0    
hampstead  3     camden town  1    
south london womens  7     enfield 3rds  2    
bushey rangers  -     east london  -    
kent magpies reserves  -     comets  -    
garston reserves  2     garston 3rds  0    
old actonians reserves  -     alexandra park  -    
hackney women reserves  0     panther reserves  3    
london united  -     fulham deaf  -    
tooting & mitcham  -     dagenham & redbridge reserves  -     (round 1)
tooting & mitcham reserves  -     hampton  -    
kikk  4     east barnet  0    

KIKK are a very good team and the battle started for them to level the score and the home side were handed a string of free kicks around the midfield area, which all seemed a bit soft and this helped KIKK start to control the game.
 
And Spurs started to wobble !!  On 30 minutes, the wobble gave KIKK the opportunity to score and they did, jumping for joy like they just won the World Cup, as they also chasing after the league title along with Spurs and Camden Town Ladies.  Spurs picked themselves up and carried on ... The half flew by as was the intensity of the match.  In the last five minutes Spurs pinned KIKK back in there own half without a clue how to get out giving Spurs the upper hand at the close of the half.
 
The second half started as the first finished, with Spurs standing up to KIKK's very experienced and older players, standing toe to toe as they started exchanging blow for blow with the game on a knife edge.  Something had to give and in the oddest way it did !

A Tottenham player stayed down injured in the centre circle with the Spurs captain calling for the ball to be kicked out.  The Spurs players tried to clear it, but KIKK got possession and again the Spurs captain asked for it to go out as her team-mate was on the floor, but the KIKK player ignored the call and the attempt to clear the ball ended up as a cross into the Spurs area.  The Tottenham players froze and the ball bounced off a Spurs player and into the net ... 2-1 to KIKK !
 
Spurs tried to pull it back with less than 15 minutes to go and carved out chances but it just would not go in.  There was despair at the final whistle, as now, with one game to go, Spurs may finish the season empty handed even if they win their last game !

The three horse race is not over as KIKK still have three games to go and with no one below the top three being able to catch any of them all three teams deserve medals but only two will receive them.
 
The Spurs team were fantastic, the performance was brilliant, but the result left a bitter taste.  All the girls are a credit to the shirt and the squad. And what ever happens in the closing weeks of this season they are all champions to me.
 
Player of the match was Natalie Howard for showing a performance beyond her young age.

paul clark

camden town  -    
newham womens  -    
hampstead  -    
joybabe  -    
garston reserves  -    
hackney women reserves  -    
katabella  -