Tottenham Hotspur Ladies -

Under-11 team

Tottenham Hotspur U11

0

The Under 11's played their first ever HGFL League match on Saturday at last year's League and Cup runners-up, Luton Town Belles.

Spurs started slowly and fell behind after two minutes from a well-worked Luton goal. Spurs then settled and were defending well through Shikiera Richards-Lake, Gemma Parkes and Ryah Vyse, but with two minutes to the break, Spurs fell further behind.

In the second half, Spurs started brightly and the midfield of Aimee Rose and Zoe Jackson had several good runs on the Luton goal. Little Lindsey Cockle continued to work tirelessly up front to try to get Spurs back into the game and Terri Burgess showed some great potential for the future with several strong runs from the back.

However, Luton finished strongly with a five-goal burst in the last twelve minutes to run out eventual 7-0 victors.

Harpenden U11

2

It was 'Cockle Doodle Two' as little Lindsey Cockle bagged 2 goals in a ding-dong Under 11 HGFL fixture. 

Harpenden took the lead only to be pegged back to 1-1 by Spurs before the break. Spurs took the lead and were unlucky not to go further ahead before Harpenden squared the game up 2-2.

Tottenham Hotspur U11

1

The Under 11's put up a brave performance but went down 4-1 to Watford Ladies FC in a highly entertaining HGFL fixture. 

Spurs battled well in the first half but fell behind to a well worked Watford corner after 12 minutes.  A further Watford goal just before the break left the half time score at 2-0. 

Spurs took the game to Watford in the second half and were unlucky with several good chances through Lindsey Cockle and Ryah Vyse, but 2 further counter-attack goals put Watford 4-0 into lead before little Lindsey Cockle scored from a Shikiera Richards-Lake corner with virtually the last kick of the game.

Garston A  U11

3

Despite having a spell of early pressure two quick goals by Garston A gave them the advantage that they pressed home in the second half.

Within the first minute, Spurs had a corner that Shikiera Richards-Lake hit just wide.  With the ball mainly heading towards the Garston goal, the next clear chance came after 11 minutes, when a long shot for Richards-Lake was saved and then cleared at the second attempt by the keeper as Aimee Rose ran in. 

On the quarter hour, Lindsey Cockle, playing in goal, saved a shot that came in from the left wing, but a minute later was left helpless, as the ball came in from the other flank and the Garston forward, Amy Pearson shot home.

Directly from the restart, the visitors repeated the move to go two up through Holly Webb.

With Terri Burgess taking over in goal for the second half, she was called into action early on and saved a Garston corner right on the goal-line.  Four minutes into the half, Lindsey Cockle made a good run into the box and was tackled just as she was going to shoot.

With five minutes left and after a number of Garston substitutions, they broke away from a Tottenham corner and Terri was left with two Garston players to face.  They played the ball to make a shooting chance and it was 3-0 when Natasha Douglas put the ball away.  

There was still the threat from Tottenham and with a couple of minutes left, Shikiera hit a long free kick just wide.

It was a closely contested game and Tottenham did well against a Garston A side who passed the ball well.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

11

The Under 11's played two friendly fixtures on Saturday morning.

In the first match, they ran out convincing 11-0 winners against Hatfield Youth with new signing Sophie Petros bagging five goals.  Further goals coming from Terri Burgess (3), Lindsey Cockle, Ryah Vyse and captain Zoe Jackson with a goal apiece.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

3

The second match against Hatfield Youth U-11's was a real ding-dong affair with the lead constantly changing hands before Hatfield snatched a winner in the last few minutes to take the game 4-3. 

Shikieria Richards-Lake was superb in midfield, scoring two goals with Sophie Petros bagging the other Spurs goal.

Belmont United  U11

1

The Under 11's put up a brave performance but are still looking for their first league win of the season are a 1-0 home defeat against Belmont United. 

In an even first half, Spurs slipped behind after poor marking at a corner allowed Belmont to take the advantage. Spurs were much more compact in the second half and Shikiera Richards-Lake was again the star of the show with a  series of bustling runs.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

0

Spurs Under 11's put up a brave performance in losing narrowly 2-0 to local rivals Enfield Ladies FC in the HGFL on Saturday.

Enfield Ladies U-11's, managed by Sarah Kessack, Tottenham Hotspur Football In The Community Women's Development Officer, took the lead after two minutes when keeper Aimee Rose was beaten at her near post. After five minutes, Spurs were turned down a clear penalty when striker Lindsey Cockle was brought down in the box.

Enfield made it 2-0 after 12 minutes, but from there on Spurs matched Enfield across the pitch for the rest of the match with Lindsey Cockle and Sophie Petros going close on several occasions.

Manager and Spurs Ladies Development Officer Glenn Weaver said, "Despite the scoreline, this was an excellent team performance by an extremely young Under 11's side. The team are now looking like a unit and with a regular goalkeeper, the results will soon be turned round."

Stevenage Borough Vixens  U11

1

The much improved Under 11's gained their first league victory with a 2-1 victory over Stevenage Borough Vixens. 

Spurs took the lead after seven minutes when they were awarded a penalty which Shikiera Richards-Lake duly converted. 

Play continued to move between both goalmouths until Aimee Rose forced the ball over the line in the 14th minute to put two goals ahead.  

Stevenage came back into the game before the break and despite the heroics of keeper Lindsey Cockle, they managed to pull a goal back.  

In the second half, Stevenage continued to attack the Spurs goal, but excellent defending by the whole of the Spurs team left the final score at 2-1. 

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

0

The Under 11's put up another brave performance away to Stevenage Borough Juniors before slipping to a 4-0 defeat in very trying conditions.

Luton Town Belles  U11

3

The Under 11's battled right to end as they narrowly lost to undefeated Luton Town Belles 3-1 in the HGFL.

Luton Town Belles took the lead in the fourth minute of the game through a well worked move but Spurs battled their way back into the game and drew level before the break through a Sophie Petros goal.

In the second half, Spurs were on the back foot for large parts of the half, but defended stoutly through Ryah Vyse, Gemma Parkes and Shikiera Richards-Lake. Goalkeeper Zoe Jackson bravely produced several good saves before Luton Town Belles pressure saw two quick goals.

Despite the result, this was still another encouraging performance against a team who had beaten Spurs 7-0 less than two months ago.

QPR  U11

-

Postponed - waterlogged pitch

Harpenden Colts  U11

0

The Under 11's battled hard to secure a 1-0 victory against Harpenden Colts in the HGFL on Saturday.

Spurs took the play to Harpenden in the early part of the first half and Lindsey Cockle was unlucky with several good efforts.  Harpenden fought back strongly and without the good defensive work from keeper Sophie Petros and Shikiera Richards-Lake, Spurs may have gone behind before the break.

In the second half, the game swung between both goalmouths before a good through ball from Richards-Lake set up Sophie Petros to slot home with just two minutes to go.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

0

The Under 11's, missing three players, put up a brave performance in the HGFL losing 3-0 to Garston Ladies.

In the early stages, the Spurs defence of goalkeeper Gemma Parkes, Ryah Vyse, Zoe Jackson, Olivia Rodney and Paige Barnard battled hard to keep the Garston attack at bay.  However, after 10 minutes Garston took the lead. Spurs then battled back in the game with Lindsey Cockle and Aimee Rose linking well on several occasions.  Spurs were unlucky not to get back into the game after a Lindsey Cockle shot hit the post.  Just before the break, Garston broke again to take a 2-0 goal lead.

In the second half, Spurs showed great spirit and the midfield of Paige Barnard and Zoe Jackson set up several promising opportunities.  Despite a third goal late on from Garston, the young Spurs side can be proud of this battling performance.

Spurs Manager, Glenn Weaver said "Despite the result, the girls continue to improve each week. The sportsmanship and hospitality shown by Garston Ladies makes football at the level worth playing every week."

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

-

Match postponed - waterlogged pitch

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Hatfield Town U11

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-

Postponed - frozen pitch

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Stevenage Borough Juniors

0

0

Spurs fought out a tightly contested match with Stevenage Borough that ended with the points shared.

It was Sophie Petros who had the early openings, with two chances that were blocked by a resolute Borough defence.  The visitors hit back with a two shots that went wide and a low ball into the box that flew across the face of the goal, all inside the first five minutes.  The next direct shot on goal came in the 17th minute, when a Stevenage effort from long range failed to trouble Zoe Jackson, who played the first half in goal.

Ryah Vyse was breaking up many of the moves that Boro strung together and found time to set up Shikiera Richards-Lake for a low shot that almost crept under the diving keeper.

Turning round with the score at 0-0, it was all to play for in the second half.  Shikiera had the first strike of that twenty minute period, with a shot that just went by the post.

Stevenage hit the side netting with a shot from one of their forwards when well placed, but Spurs hit back with Sophie Petros drawing a save at her feet from the goalie.

Two efforts from Borough went wide, one deflected into the outside of the net, by a Ryah Vyse block, before Tottenham had a good chance when Petros passed to Eleanda Taladianou, who put her shot wide of the goal and then Sophie broke through herself, but again the effort missed the target.

As the match drew to a close, Stevenage were presented with the best chance of the match in the last minute, but the forward shot narrowly wide with only keeper Terri Burgess to beat.

The Spurs girls played well as a unit and kept a well deserved clean sheet to earn another point in their League campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Enfield Ladies U-11

1

2

The U11's went down bravely 1-2 in their local derby against Enfield Ladies FC in the Herts. Girls Football League.

After a close, goalless first half, Enfield took the lead early after the restart.  Spurs took the game to Enfield and following a long throw Aimee Rose flicked the ball passed the Enfield keeper. With five minutes remaining, Enfield scored again with a well-taken goal.

Barking  U11

Tottenham Hotspur U-11

-

-

Match postponed - frozen pitch

Barking  U11

Tottenham Hotspur U-11

2

1

The Under 11s were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Barking Ladies in the HGFL on Saturday. 

Spurs took the game to Barking in the opening exchanges and both Sophie Petros and Lindsey Cockle went close.  However, it was Barking who took the lead in the 13th minute when Spurs lost possession on the edge of their own box and goalkeeper Ricole Vyse, making her debut, was beaten with a low driven shot.  Spurs came back into the game just before the break and levelled through a thunderbolt shot from Shikiera Richards-Lake. 

Spurs again started the second half brightly before a speculative through ball caught the Spurs defence napping and Barking were back in the lead. Despite a barrage of Spurs pressure in the last ten minutes, the U11s were unable to find that elusive equaliser.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Hatfield Town U11

3

0

Spurs Under-11s progressed to the Second round of the League Cup with a very slick performance against the visiting Hatfield Town team.

The girls were really "up for the cup" as goals from Shikiera Richards-Lake and Lindsay Cockle (two) saw Spurs past Hatfield and in the hat for the next round.

An early goal settled Tottenham's play and it was midfielder Richards-Lake who shot them into the lead with a low drive under the goalkeeper's despairing dive after five minutes.  Just three minutes later, Shikiera hooked shot across goal and just wide of the far post as Tottenham pressed forward.  

However, in the next attack, Sophie Petros wriggled past her marker on the left, hit a shot that the keeper parried onto the post and it fell invitingly for Lindsay Cockle to tap into an unguarded net.

Hatfield held Spurs at bay until the 16th minute, when Ryah Vyse made a good run on the left wing and cut inside to hit a shot just past the post.  With time running out in the first half Aimee Rose ran through the Hatfield defence and hit a drive that the keeper did well to save and then Eleanda Taladianou got to the ball first, but the goalie blocked her shot too.  There was just time for Eleanda to have an effort go just wide of the goal before the half-time whistle blew.

In the second half, the Tottenham girls found both space and their passing game to open up Hatfield on a number of occasions.  Lindsay Cockle had an early chance, when Taladianou slipped the ball through the defence to her, but she was wide of the mark and then Lindsay was once more following good work from Rose and Taladianou only to see the goalkeeper deny .

Ricole Vyse had to be aware to stop a shot from the edge of the box by a Hatfield striker in the 26th minute, while at the other end, a neat move involving Aimee Rose and Eleanda Taladianou down the left ended with it being squared to Cockle, who this time managed to put the ball past the keeper and in to make it 3-0.  An opportunity to complete the hat-trick came in the 10th minute of the second half, when Lindsay latched onto a long ball out of defence by Richards-Lake, but her shot went agonisingly wide.

Shortly after Rose again did well to get past her marker and fed Cockle, who found the goalkeeper diving at her feet to save.  Ricole Vyse then had her hardest save to make as she plunged at the feet of an on-coming Hatfield forward, but the play swung to the other end and Aimee Rose had two shots in quick succession that went just wide and the other was well saved by the Town keeper.

With just two minutes left, Rose crafted a fine opportunity for Lindsay Cockle to complete her hat-trick, but with the goal at her mercy, the ball ended up going the wrong side of the post and the chance was gone.

While the score could have been greater, the Hatfield team put in a determined display, with a couple of notable performances by their forwards, but the nature of the Spurs showing pegged them back for long periods.  It is testament to the girls that the amount they have learned over the preceding five months came together in a match that showed off their passing and movement to it's best effect.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 'B'

London Colney U11

0

1

The Under-11 B team played a friendly against London Colney after the Cup game and slipped to a narrow defeat despite having the majority of the play.

With an influx of new players, this game was staged to give the girls, with a couple of first team players included, some match practice and the visitors proved doughty opponents.  Ricole Vyse was called into action after three minutes, with a save at the feet of a Colney forward, before Tayla Goodman got Spurs' first effort on target in the fifth minute, forcing the keeper to take the ball low down.

On seven minutes, London Colney scored from close in after a scramble in the box.  However, Tottenham hit back straight away, with Bianca Lee getting the keeper to dive and then just before half-time having two more efforts go close.  Bianca had another effort blocked and Zoe Jackson's follow-up was also charged down by the Colney defence.

Into the second half, the majority of the play was towards the London Colney goal.  Zoe Jackson was provided with a number of chances, but was just unable to get the ball in the net, while Sophia Lee went in goal and made a good save as Colney had a rare second half breakaway.  The Tottenham defence of Olivia Rodney and Sam Fairbairn were tight on their opponents, breaking up any threat of another goal.

As the game drew to a close, Tottenham produced a sustained spell of pressure that saw numerous shots whizz just wide of the goal and at the end, the goalkeeper and a clearance of the line deprived the Spurs girls of a deserved equaliser.  Dogged defensive work by London Colney kept the side at bay in what was a useful work-out for both sides.

The B team are relatively new to the club and played with a good appreciation of their position and of the space around them, putting in a lot of energy on a particularly cold morning.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

QPR - U11

0

3

After last week's League Cup win, the Unbder-11s were brought back down to earth with a bump as QPR eased their way to a comfortable win.

With the mist swirling around the Frederick Knight ground, a big QPR side took the initiative early on a cross to the far post was missed by the incoming forward.  Aimee Rose responded by putting a shot narrowly wide, but Rangers hit back with an effort just wide of the post.  Ricole Vyse was being kept busy and in the 10th minute, she made a good punch away from a corner, but she was helpless four minutes later, when a fierce shot from a narrow angle beat her at the near post.

The score became 2-0 three minutes after, when the ball bobbled around the Tottenham box and was hit home through a crowd of players by a QPR forward.  But Spurs were not disheartened and put together a flowing passing move involving Ryah Vyse and Lindsay Cockle before Sophie Petros forced a save from the Rangers goalie.  From the resulting corner, Shikiera Richards-Lake hit a shot that the goalkeeper kicked away.

At half-time, the team had a chance to look at where the problems were being caused by the visitors and try to stop them getting in on goal.  Ryah Vyse did just that after the restart, with a block that stopped a goal-bound shot, but five minutes in, a defensive mix-up allowed QPR a simple goal to extend the score to 3-0.

There then came a spell in the match where play got bogged down in a midfield battle, but after a quarter of an hour  of the half, Ricole made a good save from a low shot.  At the other end, Lindsay Cockle was put through by Eleanda Taladianou, but the goalkeeper stopped her shot with her legs.  Ricole Vyse was called into action after 18 minutes of the second half, when she first made a save at the foot of her post and then a minute later produced a double save, tipping the second effort over the bar to stop a certain goal.

With time running out, Spurs tried to force the pace of the game, but the Queens Park Rangers side were physically strong and made the decisive moves, forcing Ricole to three more good reflex saves to keep the score down before the end of the match.

For action photos from the game click here.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 'B'

Letchworth Garden City Girls U11

1

2

The newly formed B team continued their progress, but lost out by a single goal to Letchworth Garden City Girls.

Having much of the play, Sophia Lee raced away from the Letchworth defence to have Tottenham's first chance, but her rising shot just cleared the bar.  Shortly afterwards, Sophia was also denied a goal, when the goalkeeper kicked out a goal-bound effort.

Spurs had to be alert and Shikiera Richards-Lake in goal made a good save in the 20th minute.  Almost immediately, Tottenham broke to the other end.  Sophia Lee passed inside to Lindsay Cockle, who squared the ball across the area to the unmarked Aimee Rose, who stuck away the opportunity for the B team's first goal.  

Spurs had hoped to get to half-time with the lead, but a shot from a narrow angle right on half-time snuck past Shikiera and into the net to make it 1-1 at the break.

Shortly after the restart, Spurs were caught out and with nine minutes gone in the half, Letchworth scored a carbon copy of the first goal to give them a 2-1 lead.  The Tottenham girls kept going and Aimee Rose was denied by a last ditch tackle after dribbling through the defence, but the lead that Letchworth had should have been extended in the 18th minute of the second half.  They rampaged upfield and found themselves with four players bearing down on Richards-Lake, but ended up putting the ball over the bar.  Two minutes later, a similar break caught Spurs out when pushing for the equaliser and two players were through, but Shikiera made a good save this time to deny them a third goal.

In a frantic finish, Tottenham pressed forward in numbers and found the visiting defence to be holding firm, while Sam Fairbairn had to make a couple of important tackles to stop Letchworth getting through on goal.

A close game was well played out by both sides and although Spurs lost, there was a lot to take away from the game and think about by the players.

For action photos from the game click here.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

 Watford Ladies U11

2

2

Spurs raced into an early two goal lead, but were pegged back by the visiting Watford side, who sit second in the league and battled back for a draw.  In a showing that indicated the improvement the Tottenham girls have made this season, they lead with goals from Aimee Rose and Ryah Vyse.

An early free-kick from Shikiera Richards-Lake forced the goalkeeper to block the ball with her legs and the rebound was stuck away neatly by Ryah Vyse in the seventh minute.  Two minutes later, Ryah made a good run down the left side of the area and pulled the ball back low across the box for Aimee Rose to steer it home at the far post to give Tottenham a 2-0 lead.

After 12 minutes, Shikiera hit a neat shot with the outside of her right foot, but the ball flew just wide of the goal, but within two minutes, Watford had pulled a goal back.  A run through the middle was picked up by a pass through the Spurs midfield and the ball was slipped past Ricole Vyse in the Spurs goal.  Just before the break two good blocks by Richards-Lake stopped Watford equalising and Ricole saved a strong volley after the ball had loped up into the air off Shikiera.

Into the second half, Watford had a clear chance in the opening exchanges, but the effort sailed over the top and Shikiera forced the goalkeeper into a save with a 20 yard free-kick.  With just five minutes gone, Watford brought the scores level, when a forward scored from a similar position to the first goal.  They could have taken the lead soon after, when a shot flashed across the face of goal with nobody on hand to touch it home.

Spurs were not to be denied and Aimee Rose hit a corner just past the post and in the final action of the match, another corner from Richards-Lake was blocked on the line as it swung in, while Rose and Petros were blocked as they moved in to try and finish off the chance.

While manager Glenn Weaver was not doubt disappointed that the side lost a two goal lead, he will be pleased with the progress the team have made since losing 1-4 to the Watford team earlier in the season and with the football the girls are now playing.

For action photos click here.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 'B'

Barking U11 'B'

0

1

Despite losing out once more by the odd goal, Spurs Under-11s put in a  very good performance against a good Barking B team.

Lining up without any members of the A team, Spurs started well and Bianca Lee had two shots on goal; one wide and making the keeper save.  In between her sister Sophia, starting in goal, made a good save as a Barking striker ran through.  However, she was left helpless five minutes before half-time, when a shot flashed past her and hit the post, with a Barking player following up to put the ball into the net.

The second half again saw a bright start by Spurs, with Kelly Cutler, on her debut, making a good run through the Barking defence and Bianca Lee had a shot go wide of the mark.  Ricole Vyse came on at the break and made a good save, when it looked like Barking might extend their lead.

The Spurs girls had more shots in this match than previously and worked the ball between them better them, as they are starting to develop some understanding and it can only be a matter of time before they get a win that their efforts deserve.  The shape of the side was much better and in Jodie Fenn, they had a player who gave 100% in a very good performance.

For action photos click here.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Barking U11

1

2

Two goals out of the blue beat Tottenham's Under-11s in this match with Barking.

Having dominated the first seven minutes of the encounter, barking produced a shot that was too hot to handle for Ricole Vyse, who got a hand to it, but could not stop it going in.  By then Spurs had spent the start of the match attacking the Barking goal with Sophie Petros having a good run into the left hand side of the box ending with a hard shot that the keeper did well to hold.  Shortly after, Aimee Rose was tackled just as she was going to shoot and Terri Burgess made a determined run forward, producing a shot that went just wide.  The Tottenham girls were passing the ball about well, but with the goal Barking gained a little more confidence and Ricole had to be quick out of her goal to clear when two forwards were closing in.

With the second half starting in strong wind and the play became a little scrappy, with Ryah Vyse breaking forward and bringing a good save from the visitors keeper.  As she cleared the ball, it fell straight to Elenda Taladianou, who again worked the goalie with a good shot.  Spurs were pressing hard, but Ricole Vyse had to make a smart save when Barking fired a shot in on goal and sterling work from Zoe Jackson and Shikiera Richards-Lake held Barking at bay.

A double save from the Barking goalkeeper denied Sophie Petros and then Aimee Rose's shot slipped just the wrong side of the post, before Barking extended their lead with a cracking shot from the edge of the area that was unstoppable.

However, the Spurs team kept plugging away and got a goal back when Shikiera hit a 20 yard shot that flew into the top of the net to give the side some hope.  Despite a late rally that saw Tottenham press for an equaliser and a late Taladianou cross go begging, it was the visitors who ran out winners in a close game.

Stevenage Borough Vixens  U11

Tottenham Hotspur U11

0

0

Barking Ladies U11 B

 Tottenham Hotspur  U11 B

7

0

Although Spurs suffered a heavy defeat, the scoreline did not reflect the balance of play against a bigger and more experienced Barking side.

With one of the Barking Under-11 first team forwards playing after being out with illness recently, the Spurs defence were hit by some ruthless finishing.  Scoring four goals and being a constant thorn in Tottenham's side, she was the real difference between the teams.

Three first half strikes ripped past the Spurs keeper, with the half-time score not telling the whole story.  Spurs had been passing the ball well and made some good chances.  Sophia Lee twice raced away from the Barking defence and  shot narrowly wide of the goal, while on another occasion fed Tayla Goodman who shot was just off target as the ball was slightly running away from her.  There was a spell where Spurs forced four successive corners and Sam Fairbairn's kicks into the box did cause Barking some concern, although Spurs could not make the pressure count.

However, with the Barking side hitting Tottenham on the break and with their chances being taken, it was a disappointing score at the turnaround.

In the second half, for Spurs there was the double difficulty of playing up the slope and also against the wind, but the girls kept going and again forced their way up on the Barking goal, with Jodie Fenn making a great run up the left wing and firing a shot that the keeper saved. Bianca Lee also repeated her sister's efforts and went close to scoring.  However, Tottenham found it hard to clear the ball against the wind and were under pressure for a while in the second half.

The Spurs defence of Sam Fairbairn, Olivia Rodney and Gemma Parkes kept their shape well, battling against a talented forward line and tackling the players as they flooded forward.  The midfield passed the ball well, with Jodie Fenn working well from box to box and Tayla Goodman putting in a good performance covering at the back too.  Laila El Haddad made her debut and showed good control and passing ability.  Sophia and Bianca Lee kindly volunteered to go in goal for a half each, as the team was without a recognised goalie.  Both made good saves to keep Barking at bay, while producing some worrying moments at the other end when they came out on field.

Despite the result, there were signs that the girls are developing some team play and the experience of playing together will help them work together.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Hatfield Town Youth U11

3

1

The Under 11's recorded a well earned 3-1 home victory in this friendly fixture.  

Spurs took the game to Hatfield in the early stages and were rewarded with a well taken goal from hard working centre forward Sophie Petros in the 10th minute.   Hatfield came back into the game just before the break and scored with a long distance shot to level at 1-1.

Spurs started the second half brightly and Eleanda Taladianou bagged two goals to take Spurs into a 3-1 lead.  However, it was the goalkeeping heroics of Ricole Vyse that keep Spurs in the lead in the closing stages as Hatfield continued to pressure the Spurs defence.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 B

 St. Albans City

0

1

The Under 11's 'B' were extremely unlucky to slip to a 1-0 defeat against St. Albans City Youth. Despite having long periods of the game, Spurs were just unable to find the net and were caught out by the only goal of the game in the 30th minute.

Belmont United  U11

Tottenham Hotspur U11

0

3

Tottenham Hotspur Under-11s moved into the last eight in the Herts. Girls League Cup with a very good performance against a much bigger Belmont United side.

Shikiera Richards-Lake opened the scoring for Tottenham in the 10th minute when her long throw was handled in the Belmont box.  Shikiera took the penalty herself, blasting the ball into the top corner.

The second half started brightly and the second goal again came as a result of a long throw, with Ryah Vyse knocking the ball home from close range.  Spurs' third came from another scramble in the box, with Aimee Rose forcing the ball home from five yards out.

The team defended brilliantly and hit Belmont on the counter attack, when they had the opportunity.

QPR   U11

Tottenham Hotspur U11

2

0

The Under 11's were unfortunate not come out of their league visit to QPR
on Saturday without even a point.  

Spurs battled well in the first half and had several good chances to score before a counter attack move saw QPR snatch the lead in the 11th minute.

In the second half, Spurs played some lovely passing football but lack of penetration in the last third saw many opportunities break down in good positions. 

In the hope of gaining an equaliser, Spurs pushed forward late on and were caught again by another QPR swift break.

QPR  U11 B

Tottenham Hotspur U11 B

1

2

The Under 11's B gained their first win of the season on Saturday coming
from behind to beat QPR.

QPR had the best of the early exchanges and keeper Ryah Vyse had to be on her toes to keep the score at 0-0. However, QPR finally breached the Spurs defence in the 12th minute. Spurs battled back gamely and were rewarded with an equaliser from Bianca Lee after a strong run.

The second half saw the game flow from end to end before Spurs were awarded a penalty in the 36th minute for hand ball. Jodie Fenn strode up and masterfully tucked the ball into the top corner. The last few minute seemed like an eternity but the team bravely held on. A good all round team performance gave the girls the long-awaited victory they have earned for their efforts over the last few weeks.

For action photos click here.

Belmont United  U11

Tottenham Hotspur U11

1

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The Under-11 team completed their league fixtures with a 1-1 draw at Belmont United.

Taking a three minute lead, when, following a long-throw from Shikiera Richards-Lake, Sophie Petros hit a shot that the goalkeeper got her hands to but couldn't keep out, Spurs dominated the first half.  Terri Burgess moved forward to hit a 12th minute half-volley that scorched over the crossbar and shortly after, Lindsey Cockle stole in and her effort from close-in just went wide.

Spurs maintained the pressure and Ricole Vyse had to make few saves, but did stop a forward's rush on goal by grabbing the ball at her feet.  Half way through the first half, Lindsey controlled the ball well, turned her marker and again was just off target with a curling shot.  With a minute to go until half-time, Terri again volleyed narrowly too high from a good position.

Although play swung from end to end in the second period, it was a much tighter affair, with Belmont equalising with a similar goal to Tottenham's.  A long throw bounced in the box and the Belmont forward was first to it and poked home from close range.  They had already gone close when a move down their left wing had ended with a shot inches wide.

Spurs played their way back into the match, with a passing game that was made difficult by the bumpy pitch.  Ryah Vyse got in on the left hand side of the box and pulled her shot across goal, just wide of the far post.  Shikiera had a shot saved and then the keeper grabbed on to her long throw as Lindsey and Aimee were poised to snap up anything dropping in front of goal.  Lindsey had a chance go wide and Shikiera's long range free-kick was deflected wide by a brave block from the defender in front of the ball.

In the end, the draw was welcomed by both teams and the league season ended with honours even.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Watford B U11

(After extra time - 2-2 at full time )

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In an eventful League Cup quarter-final, Spurs came out on top in extra time to go through to face QPR in the semi.

Six goals, extra time, a saved penalty and a serious injury to Spurs goalkeeper Ricole Vyse all added to this game having everything and it became one you couldn't take your eyes off.

A crowd of 65 gathered to watch the game start with an early goal for Watford, when a shot from the right hand side of the area sneaked in at Ricole Vyse's near post.  But Spurs were back on equal terms within three minutes, when Sophie Petros' low right wing cross hit two Watford legs before just creeping past the keeper as Aimee Rose bundled the ball over the line.

Spurs were enjoying a period of supremacy, with Aimee Rose forcing the keeper to a low save and Sophie had a high cross caught well by the Watford keeper.  The visitors broke away and hit a shot just wide form the left of the penalty box, before play swung to the other end and Sophie had a shot deflected wide of the goal.  Almost straight away, Shikiera Richards-Lake popped up on the left wing and hit a low cross-shot that squeezed under the keeper's feet to give Spurs a 2-1 12th minute lead.  The scoreline stayed that way until half-time, despite the Watford captain turning neatly in the box and hitting a shot just off target.

The second half was a bit more subdued, but a few minutes in, the referee adjudged that Lindsey Cockle had been nudged as she ran through on goal and a penalty was given.  Shikiera stepped up to take it, but the keeper guessed the right way and dived to push the ball away.  With half of the second period remaining, Watford grabbed an equaliser with a low shot under Ricole following a mazy run down the right wing and cross into the box.

At full time, the match went into extra time and Spurs were dealt a blow when Ricole Vyse saved a fierce shot, but was caught by the ball hitting the end of her fingers.  She left the field in great pain, but thankfully later reports revealed that nothing was broken, but just bruised. We hope Ricole will be better soon.  Shuffling the team, her sister Ryah left her midfield position and took over the gloves, making a couple of good stops before the end of the match.

The first half of extra time was fairly tight with no addition to the score, but the majority of the crowd went ballistic when Spurs took the lead in the first minute of the second half.  Sophie Petros broke into the box and hit a low shot that the keeper saved, but could not hold and the ball fell to Aimee Rose, who calmly turned and put it into the net.  Even more celebration was to come when Lindsey Cockle's shot was also parried by the keeper two minutes later, with Sophie on the end of it this time to force the ball home to make the score 4-2.

Aimee and Sophie both went close as the keeper was exposed by the Spurs forwards late on, while the Tottenham defence stood firm against a few minutes of Watford pressure to ease their way through to the semi-final of the League Cup.  It will be played at 13.00 p.m. next Saturday (3rd May) near Wood Lane, White City.  Details will be on the site during the coming week.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 B

Hatfield Town U10

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A mixed Hatfield Town side played an 8-a-side friendly fixture against the Spurs B side and showed good endeavour in the game that they lost 6-1.  

The two boys in the Hatfield side were very skilful and the girls, one as young as seven, showed good character in sticking to their task, despite a good performance from Tottenham.

Spurs had the better of the game and showed their developing team play, by passing and moving to counteract the energetic display by the visitors.

The first chance fell to one of the Hatfield boys, who burst forward and hit a shot wide of the goal, but Tottenham took a third minute lead when a low cross into the penalty area caught a Hatfield knee and the goalkeeper caught the ball just after it had crossed the line.  The referee initially had waved play on, but the Hatfield coach sportingly acknowledged that the goal should stand.

The young Hatfield side battled away to stop Spurs progressing for a long period of the first half and it was on 14 minutes that the next chance came, when Tayla Goodman swivelled to hit a shot wide.  Three minutes later, Daisy Beattie, making her debut for the side, broke through and laid the ball square into the path of Laila El Haddad to shoot home for her first goal for the club.  Straight from the kick off, one of the Hatfield lads dribbled through the whole Tottenham side and hit a shot that just cleared the bar.  Gemma Parkes and Olivia Rodney had worked hard to prevent any further breakthrough, with Gemma finding time to break forward too.

It was 2-0 at half-time and Hatfield came out with all guns blazing in the second half, with two efforts flying just wide of Eleanda Taladianou's goal in the first two minutes.  However, Spurs rode out this spell of pressure and with four minutes of the half gone, Jodie Fenn made a good run down the right wing, pulling the ball back to Tayla in the area to slot home her first Spurs goal.

Hatfield again hit back with a shot rifled wide of the mark by the taller boy and another lengthy run by the other lad in the side ended with him getting it past Eleanda to bring the score back to 3-1.  However, Spurs had a dribbler of their own and Daisy did the hard work in determinedly getting through a number of tackles before placing the ball into the corner of the net to restore the three goal gap. 

A quiet passage of play was brought to an abrupt end, when the visitors fired a shot out of the blue, which rattled past the post.  It certainly woke Spurs up, as they moved forward in the 14th minute of the half, with Jodie on the right wing again, this time having three Spurs players in the box to choose from and it was Daisy again, who rounded off a fine debut with her second goal of the match.

A well worked free kick from Sam Fairbairn found Daisy in the box and she laid it off to Laila, who curled an effort just outside of the post.  One of the Hatfield lads again had a dribble with Spurs tackles trying to hold him up, but he found his colleague, who hit a hard shot just off the target.

With two minutes of time remaining, Spurs rounded off their scoring with Jodie capping a hard working performance with a well-taken goal after being put in by Laila.

Spurs had to defend until the end and Eleanda and Olivia were required to be called upon to stop Hatfield grabbing something at the end.

It was a useful work-out for both sides and the match was played in a good spirit throughout.

QPR U11

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

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The Under-11s progressed to the Final of the League Cup with a narrow, but well earned win over QPR, who had already beaten them twice this year.

With Ricole Vyse fit enough to return in goal after last week's injury, a familiar Spurs line-up took to the field.  Ricole was busy in the first few minutes of the match, as QPR tried to exert early pressure on the Tottenham side, but she held a firm shot from outside the box and fielded everything else that came through the determined Spurs defence.  With the midfield working hard to close down the opponents, Rangers found it hard to create decent shooting opportunities on target, only managing a few efforts wide of the goal.

In the thirteenth minute, Eleanda Taladianou mad ea break on the right wing and laid the ball back for Zoe Jackson, who was 12 yards out.  Looking up, she curled a beautiful shot right into the angle of goal and post, just where the goalkeeper could not reach it.  It was a lovely shot.

Just before half-time, a Shikiera Richards-Lake corner caused confusion in the box and Lindsey Cockle nearly got a header to it and then Eleanda was stopped by a good tackle on the edge of the area.

The second half was a tight affair, but Spurs pressed forward and Sophie Petros had a shot from the right side of the penalty area saved by the Rangers keeper.  It was now Tottenham's turn to defend and QPR had a shot go wide, before Ricole saved twice in quick succession, once from Terri Burgess' attempted clearance and then from a Rangers long shot.  

With five minutes remaining, Lindsey fired in a shot that the home keeper did well to get behind, then Ricole produced a low save to deny QPR an equaliser.  Within a couple of minutes, Terri broke on the right and put the ball into Aimee Rose's path.  It was then fed on to Eleanda, who hit a shot that the keeper stopped well.

The game was then fought out in midfield, before the referee blew his whistle to signal wild celebrations among the Spurs fans in the crowd of 64, the players and of manager Glenn Weaver.

Glenn said after the match that this result was a sign of the progress the team had made this season that they had overcome a team they had not beaten before and paid tribute to the hard work that the girls had put in during training and in matches.

The final will be against the winner of Barking v Luton Belles and details of the date and venue will appear on the site when known.

QPR U11 B

Tottenham Hotspur  U11 B

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In an extended game, the B team lost out in a high scoring affair, but pushed their opponents all the way.

Spurs had their chances in what was literally a game of three halves, but were denied by some inspired keeping and beaten by some pace and lethal finishing of one of the QPR forwards, who grabbed at least five of their goals !!

Tottenham started brightly and in the third minute, Daisy Beattie set up Tayla Goodman, but the Rangers keeper just managed to kick the ball away.  With Ryah Vyse standing in in goal, she produced some good saves despite suffering a hand injury early in the third half. Early on, she was called upon to stop QPR, although she was helpless when Rangers broke through the middle to open the scoring.

The lead did not last for long though, as Daisy hit a shot which the keeper saved, but in the next minute, received the ball from Tayla to beat the goalie.  The game swung from end to end with great rapidity and Ryah saved when the QPR number three was through, then Daisy fed Jodie on the right and her shot was just wide.

On the quarter hour, Rangers regained the lead, with a similar goal to the first - the number three slotting away to make it 2-1, then she shot just wide in the next attack.  She was on target a couple of minutes before half-time to extend the lead to 3-1.

Straight from the kickoff in the second half, Spurs got a throw-in in the Rangers half and Gemma Parkes' throw put Daisy through and her determined run ended with a low shot past the goalie to reduce the deficit.  Daisy came close to equalising soon after, but the keeper saved at point blank range.

After a scramble in the Spurs penalty box, the ball dropped nicely for the QPR 3 to score again and restore the two goal cushion.  Daisy was stopped from scoring by the keeper and then she set up Tayla, but her shot went just wide.  Then, from a long Ryah kick-out, Daisy ran through and the keeper came out to block her shot.  There was pressure at the other end, when the QPR forward missed and then, when the ball was not cleared, hit the far post with a shot.  As the game opened up, Daisy again ran through the middle, before being thwarted by the Rangers goalie, but it was brief respite.  Right on time at the end of the second half, Daisy got her hat-trick with a smart finish - shooting high past the keeper.

With a third 'half' being played, Spurs were beginning to get tired, with Rangers having a wider choice of substitutes and Spurs restricted to just one travelling sub.  However, Jodie Fenn broke through in the first minute and was only stopped from scoring by the goalkeeper's leg.  Within the next three minutes, the QPR number 3 won the game for them.  She initially shot wide, but intercepting a goal-kick, she fired the ball in to make it 3-5 and she was clear through in the next minute to make it 6.

However, the Tottenham girls kept going until the end of the match and hit straight back at Rangers, with Gemma passing to Tayla, who put Daisy through to notch her fourth goal.

Ryah made a good save from the QPR 10, who was through on goal and injured her hand, but bravely carried on between the posts.  With time running out, Spurs attacked to try and narrow the score-line, with Tayla's effort kept out by the keeper, who then produced a save to stop Ricole Vyse from close range.  A shot over the bar from Ricole was the last action in the match that saw the Tottenham defence produce a better display as the game went on and all the girls put a lot of effort into the game.  With a few more chances taken, the score could have been very different, but QPR had the finishing power that, made the difference in the end.

Tottenham Hotspur  U11

Luton Town Belles U11

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Spurs got off to a bad start, when a ball into the penalty area forced Ryah Vyse to clear hurriedly and the ball unfortunately sliced off her foot and into the net.  The Tottenham defence were having to battle against a forceful start by the Belles, but they slowly began to get their way back into the game and had a great chance when Eleanda Taladianou was put through with only the keeper to beat, but the ball bounced off the goalie and away from danger.

The crowd of 210 almost saw an equaliser in the 16th minute, when a clearance out of the Luton area fell to Shikiera Richards-Lake and her first time shot from 15 yards was left by the keeper, but hit the post and bounced out of play.  A goal then might have helped Tottenham gain confidence, but they were lucky to stay just a goal behind when a Town forward was right in front of goal, but failed to hit the target.  Ricole Vyse made the first of some very good stops just before half-time and another chance went begging for Luton.  Right on half-time, Shikiera let go another special from long range, but it flew just over the bar.

At the break, Tottenham were still in with a chance, but a goal shortly after the restart gave Luton an extended lead.  The ball was bouncing around the penalty area, before one of the Belles swept it past Ricole.  Things could have been worse but for Ricole's bravery a minute later.  Almost straight from the kick-off, Luton broke and a powerful shot was stopped by the Spurs keeper, but it hit her full in the stomach.  However, after some attention, Ricole was fit to continue.

On the half hour mark, a corner into the Tottenham area caused confusion and after a couple of deflections, it ended up in the net for the third Luton goal.  Ricole again came to the rescue with a flying save to tip the ball over the bar.  With time running out, some substitutions were made in the Spurs side, but to no avail.

In the time added on for injuries and stoppages, the ball was stuck away by Luton when it was bobbling around the area and then with almost the last action of the match, a low cross was converted at the back post to make the final score 0-5.

The score did not really reflect the gap between the two teams and although Luton probably did enough to win on the day, the Tottenham girls could have produced a tighter score-line if they had some of the rub of the green.  

However, congratulations to Luton Town Belles on completing the League and Cup double and congratulations go too to the Spurs girls and manager Glenn Weaver for reaching the final in their first season together.