Tottenham Hotspur Ladies -

Under-11's reports 2003-04

Tottenham stormed into the final of the London FA Youth Cup with a big semi-final victory over Southwark's Athenlay girls.  A fine first half display broke Athenlay's resolve and although the goals dried up in the second half, the Spurs side dominated proceedings.  

An early foray by Lindsey Cockle ended with her cross-shot being agonisingly out of Aimee Rose's reach with the goal in front of her.  However, an early goal was what Tottenham needed to settle the nerves and it came along in the seventh minute, when the earlier combination was reversed with Rose hitting a shot from the right and Cockle getting on the end of it to convert it.

The deadly duo of Cockle and Rose were making life decidedly uncomfortable for Athenlay and Aimee hit the post in the ninth minute, before she set up Lindsey a minute later to hit home the second of the match.  The third came along in the next attack with a long ball from Olivia Rodney finding Lindsey on the right of the box and she jinked past her marker to find the back of the net and seal a hat trick inside 11 minutes.

A well worked goal that spanned the whole length of the pitch saw Tottenham take a 4-0 lead.  In the 17th minute the ball was moved from goalkeeper Eleanda Taladianou to Aimee Rose.  She fed Lindsey, who picked out Sophie Petros, who shot the ball in past the keeper. After Paige Barnard had hit the post with a firm drive from outside the box, Sophie added to her score in the 20th minute with a goal from the right side of the box that marked her return to cup scoring form for the under-11s.

A minute more and another goal, with Aimee Rose notching a goal with a run in the right hand channel and a well-taken finish to make it six.  Tottenham were not finished and Sophie nearly completed her hat-trick, but was denied by the goalpost, which was frustrating Spurs all half.

The second half saw Tottenham push on for more goals and while they had almost all the play in the half, they sometimes overdid the passing in trying to get around the determined Athenlay defence.

Sophie Petros had two early chances that went begging and that set the style for the half.  Captain Zoë Jackson was playing in a more advanced role and she was keen to use her pile-driver shot to net a goal, but she was just over the bar on a couple of occasions.

Five minutes into the half, Sophie wrapped up her treble with a fierce shot after dribbling past her opponent in the area.  Dogged defending from Athenlay and over-indulgent play by Tottenham meant that they had to wait until the 45th minute to make it 8-0, when Aimee passed in to Tessa Osborne, who hit the shot of the match with a rising drive into the roof of the net.

Two minutes after that goal, Spurs won a corner on their left wing.  Aimee stepped up to take it and curled the ball straight into the net to record the team's biggest win of the season.  There was still time for Lindsey Cockle to force a save from the keeper, who pushed the ball onto the goalpost and for Eleanda to hit a long range effort over the top, right on the final whistle.

It was a fine first half display that would have overcome any team and Athenlay were unlucky to meet the Spurs girls on a day when they really hit peak form, but with the carrot of a Cup final place there, the girls remembered the disappointment of last year's League Cup final and were determined to erase the memory by getting another chance to play in a final this season.

Photos from the game can be viewed by clicking here.

Match postponed - frozen pitch

Zoe Jackson was undoubtedly the star of the first half when she linked up well with Aimee Rose in midfield and found space down the right hand side.  On three successive raids she skillfully wrong-footed the opposition and finished with right-footed shots, two of which successfully found the target to leave Spurs 2-0 up at half time.

Lindsey Cockle smelt a goal or two and started the second half hungry to add to her season's goal tally and it was she who got the slightest of touches to steer the ball home at the start of second period of play.

Aimee Rose was having one of those virtuoso performances and she has certainly added to her game this season.  Her running from midfield and general link-up play was a joy to watch as was her will to win the ball back when crowded out by the opposition.  She added another ‘spectacular’ goal to her collection when she hit an unstoppable shot from outside the area that simply thumped into the back of the net.

Different combinations were tried at the back with Laila El Haddad, Olivia Rodney, Tessa Osborne, Tayla Goodman and Paige Barnard all playing well and closing down the opposition.  Belinda Sugarman in particular had an excellent game with her strong and accurate passing.  Nicola Davey made some timely interventions but could do little about the Hitchin goal when the ball was lobbed high and dipped just below the crossbar.

Other results :
Barking A  v QPR  -  postponed
Enfield  2    Watford A  2
Harvesters  5    Potters Bar Crusaders  0
Stevenage Borough Vixens  6     Garston Blues  1

The goals  -

1-0          Eleanda started the spree when she tapped in from close range after an Aimee Rose shot.

2-0          Eleanda again converting from close range after a Zoe Jackson cross

3-0          A cracker – Aimee Rose bent the ball in with pace from the edge of the area

4-0          Lindsey Cockle kept up her goal scoring run by volleying in a Paige Barnard cross.

5-0          Eleanda completed her hat-trick soon after half time with a fantastic first time volley from outside the box (my contender for goal of the season)

6-0          Aimee Rose taps in from close range

7-0          Paige Barnard unleashes an unstoppable shot from the edge of the penalty area

8-0          Right place right time – Aimee Rose completes her hat-trick from close range

9-0          Another Paige special completes the rout

This was a splendid display of unselfish football with the players working hard for each other.  Belinda Sugarman and Jodie Fenn kept the defence reasonably watertight and were also unlucky not to open their seasons scoring account, with Belinda’s long range first time shot being saved and Jodie hitting the post.

Laila El Haddad showed glimpses of her dribbling skills and was unlucky not to get onto the score sheet whilst Nicola Davey had a solid game for Spurs and kept another clean sheet.

The girls celebrated the win in unconventional style by having a mass role down a muddy bank – team building at its best ...

Other results :
Barking A  0   Garston Blues  0
QPR  v  Enfield  -  postponed
Stevenage Borough Vixens  0    Harvesters  0
Hitchin Belles Purples  0     Watford A  3

Tottenham's Under-11s overcame tough opponents in Barking B to record a winning start to their League Cup campaign.  

An early goal by Lindsey Cockle sparked Barking into retaliation, with a long spell of pressure.  A break on the right by Aimee Rose produced a shot that fell to Zoë Jackson.  The captain's effort was going wide until Lindsey was alert to that fact and swung her foot to divert the ball in past the Barking keeper in the second minute.

Tottenham were then pushed back at every opportunity by the home side as they struggled to get on even terms, but Belinda Sugarman was well-placed to get in the way when the play came down her flank.  A shot flew wide, a forward volleyed wide from in front of goal and goalkeeper Eleanda Taladianou had to produced three good saves to deny Barking anything from their efforts.  Late in the half Barking also had a chance with a free header from a corner, that flew harmlessly over the top.

Playing downhill in the second half, Tottenham were more composed, but could not get the second goal at the start of the half.  Eleanda moved out on field, while Nicola Davey replaced her in goal and it was Eleanda who set up Aimee on the left to fire in a shot when through, but it rose over the bar.  With Tayla Goodman running well off the ball and Zoë Jackson putting in a lot of work in midfield, Spurs gained a foothold in the game. 

With 13 minutes of the half gone, Barking got reward for their fight and attacking play.  A corner was played in low from the Tottenham right and with the Spurs players slow to react, a Barking forward gathered the ball and was quick on the turn to shoot past Nicola for the equaliser.

Inside the last ten minutes, Tottenham lost Jodie Fenn to a blow in the stomach and Olivia Rodney came on to add some strength to the defence, making some notable tackles and interceptions to stop the forays of barking up front.  Paige Barnard put Lindsey through on goal, but the goalkeeper just beat her to the ball.

Nicola had to make one save from a long throw, when she pushed the ball out and then fell on a long-range effort, just managing to stop the ball in front of the line.  With just three minutes left on the watch, from a Spurs attack, the ball was fed through to Eleanda in the area by Paige and she turned to fire her effort past the despairing dive of the Barking goalie.  As Barking threw everything at Tottenham in a bid to get even, there was space for Spurs to play at last and Aimee threaded a ball into Lindsey's path and her run past bigger defenders, let go by a good advantage by the referee, ended with a neat low finish to wrap up the win.

Tottenham's win might not have been as stylish as others recently, but their determination to win and play in the way their manager Kevin Fenn believes in showed that the rewards can be theirs if they work hard and keep their shape.  Spurs were pushed all the way by a dogged Barking side, who responded to the exhortations of their manager.

Other results :

GROUP A
Garston Purples  0     Potters Bar Crusaders  0
St Albans City  3     Watford B  0

GROUP B
Stevenage Borough Vixens  2     QPR  2
Hitchin Town Yellows  1     Harpenden   6

GROUP C
Harvesters  8     Bedwell Rangers  1
Watford A  3     London Colney  0

GROUP D
Garston Blues  1     Hitchin Town Purples  2
Enfield  3    Hatfield  0

For photos from the match, click here.

Match postponed

Other results :

GROUP A
Watford B  -     Garston Purples  -
Potters Bar Crusaders  -     Barking B  -

GROUP B
Harpenden   -     Stevenage Borough Vixens  -
Bushey Rangers  -     QPR  -

GROUP C
London Colney  -     Harvesters  -
Barking A  -     Bedwell Rangers  -

GROUP D
Hatfield  -    Garston Blues  -
Hemel Hempstead  -     Hitchin Town Purples  -

Paige Barnard and Aimee Rose were the driving force in the first half and they soon shook Spurs into gear when they forced the play into the opponents half with Aimee running at the defence and Paige making some timely interceptions. Tottenham grew in stature as the game went on and it was no surprise when Aimee forced the ball home from close range to give Spurs the lead.

Spurs soon started to string together some fine passing moves sweeping down the pitch.  Tessa Osborne was brought on to add some steel to the defence, but she was soon supporting the attacks.  With Tottenham in the ascendancy it was the impressive Lindsey Cockle who doubled the lead latching on to a loose ball that the goalkeeper had spilled after initially making a great save.

The Spurs defence stood up well in the first half with Olivia Rodney making some powerful tackles and Belinda Sugarman linking well with the midfield.  Tayla Goodman had a good game on the left of defence with some timely interventions and goalkeeper Nicola Davey played with confidence in a muddy area.  The second half saw Jodie Fenn join the fray when she came off the bench to bolster the defence as Spurs upped the tempo.  Her intelligent covering and distribution helped release Zoë Jackson into a more offensive role with Spurs benefiting to the tune of two further goals.

The goals came from Aimee Rose, completing her hat-trick, ensuring Spurs a comfortable win. With ten minutes to go they could afford the luxury of retiring Aimee, Lindsey, Zoë and Paige from the game to give others a run. In their absence Belinda came close to scoring after some good work from Laila El Haddad but unfortunately could not add to the Spurs goal tally.  

Other results :

GROUP A
Barking B  -     St. Albans City  -
Watford B  -     Potters Bar Crusaders  -

GROUP B
Stevenage Borough Vixens  -     Bushey Rangers  -
QPR  -     Hitchin  Town Yellows  -

GROUP C
Bedwell Rangers  -     Watford A  -
Harvesters  -     Barking A  -

GROUP D
Hitchin Town Purples  -    Enfield  -
Garston Blues  -    Hemel Hempstead  -

Heroine of the day was Nicola Davey who produced her finest performance to date in a Spurs shirt.  She consistently denied the opposition any chance of a goal in the first half with some confident saves including a tip over the crossbar.

Spurs played much of the first half on the back foot as QPR played some fine attacking football that saw them have successive corners but failed to capitalise. This season Spurs have got a reputation for solid defending and a reluctance to concede goals. The covering was superb from both the defence and the midfield with Zoë Jackson leading by example, Olivia Rodney tackling hard, Belinda Sugarman sticking close to the attackers and Ryah Vyse magnificent on the left side.

It was against the run of play that Spurs took the lead. With QPR pushing up Tessa Osborne made full use of the space running from midfield and unleashing a fine drive that flew past the goalkeeper and into the net.  

The triumphant goal-scorer was allowed to take a breather, as Aimee Rose was unleashed from the substitutes bench. She was soon into her stride running from the middle and frustrating the QPR defence.

Aimee Rose put Spurs 2-0 up just before the break when she got the reward for her persistence with a neat shot that left the Spurs fans and subs bench ecstatic. Lindsey Cockle was given a break and Tayla Goodman came in to shore up the midfield and preserve the two-goal cushion, which she did effectively.

Post half time Spurs needed to settle quickly and not concede an early goal and with that warning ringing in their ears they took to the field for the second half.

QPR started the second half with a determination and grit hoping to force their way back into the game but were continually frustrated as Spurs closed them down time and again forcing the play into the opposite half. However just as Spurs thought they had broken QPR’s spirit they conceded a goal. A clever ball from the right was thread to the attacker whose shot rolled agonisingly over the line just out of reach of Nicola’s hand.

QPR stepped up the tempo sensing that Spurs were on the retreat and some heroic defending by Ryah Vyse and Jodie Fenn encapsulated the resolve of Spurs.

A goalkeeping change saw Eleanda Taladianou take the goalkeeping jersey and Nicola receive a rapturous applause from the Spurs faithful.  Eleanda’s first contribution saw the ball slip from her reach and with an empty net beckoning for the QPR striker it seemed certain that they would surely score.  Enter Jodie Fenn whose determination saw her clear from the goal line to put the ball into touch.

Another break by Tottenham ended with the goal of the game when Aimee Rose shook off a defender with a classic swivel and finished with a powerful shot to restore the two goal advantage.

QPR were down but not out as they bombarded Tottenham to the finish. Spurs can thank Eleanda for a truly magnificent save with her feet in pure ‘Pat Jennings’ style to round off an enthralling game with both teams leaving the pitch to generous applause.

The performance was one that will be remembered for some time by those that were privileged to be there and one that was deserving of the championship.

Congratulations to the squad.  

KEVIN FENN

Other results :
Garston Blues 1    Watford A  1
Harvesters  1    Enfield Ladies  1
Hitchin Belles Purples  0    Potters Bar Crusaders  0
Stevenage Borough Vixens  1    Barking Ladies A  0

With the League title already sewn up, Spurs Under-11s took their football to a new level with some relaxed passing play that left Barking hard pressed to match.  

But it was Barking who had the opening chance of the game, with Nicola Davey called into early action to deny a forward a chance on goal.  An amazing scramble including good work by the Barking keeper and defence managed to keep Aimee Rose and Tayla Goodman out somehow.  However, in the 8th minute, Aimee made a break down the left channel and played the ball inside to Tayla, who managed to ship the ball around the keeper to give Tottenham the lead.

Tayla was playing up front and shortly after the goal turned her marker, but put her shot wide.  Her next chance came on the 15 minute mark, when she seized on some hesitation between the goalkeeper and defender to knock in her second goal of the match.

Two minutes later, Belinda Sugarman made a run on the left wing, cut inside her opponent and played Aimee in inside the box.  She took aim and hit an unstoppable shot to bulge the net to make it 3-0.  And with 22 minutes played, that became 4-0, as the ball was worked to the left hand side of the box, where Belinda hit home her first ever Spurs goal to give Spurs a comfortable lead at the interval.

Nicola Davey had been sharp off her line to save Tottenham during the first half, but in the second she had a quieter time, as the Spurs side kept barking at bay.  Two minutes after the turn around, Eleanda Taladianou picked out Aimee in the area and she shot low past the keeper for her second of the match and Tottenham's fifth.  A cross shot was well kept out by the keeper, but the ball fell to Aimee, who reacted well, but just nudged her effort outside the post.

Aimee was again the architect when Zoë Jackson came forward to hit a shot just wide and 16 minutes into the half, Jodie Fenn and Aimee linked up to produce a shot that hit the post from the latter, but Belinda was on hand at the far post to tuck away the rebound.  Jodie was keen to get on the scoresheet for the first time this season and had three chances in quick succession.  One was stopped well by the keeper and the other ended up in the side netting.  The third was well crafted with Aimee taking on three defender sin a great mazy run, then passing to Belinda, who found Jodie in front of goal, but she was unable to make the right connection on the ball to knock it in.

With five minutes remaining, Belinda Sugarman made it a dream day by completing her hat-trick with a low 15 yard drive that deceived the keeper and right on time, Jodie finally got her reward for an energetic performance with a goal that was shot high into the net and bounced off the stanchion before dropping behind the goalie to make the final score 8-0.

Kevin Fenn and John Goodman were very happy with the girl's performance and thought that they played some pleasing passing moves, coupled with some fine finishing to make it a good day's work.

For photos from the match, click here.

Other results :

Garston Blues  2    Potters Bar Crusaders  1
Stevenage Borough Vixens  2    Hitchin Purples  1