Tottenham Hotspur Ladies -

Under-11's reports 2004-05

The game kicked off at 11:10am and within four minutes, Renata Inniss put Spurs into the lead and eleven minutes later, Phoebe Ogunwobi extended the lead to 0-2.  

The Spurs team thwarted all challenges from the Enfield players for 25 minutes, but after 29 minutes, Enfield scrambled the ball into the net after the Spurs team failed to clear the ball from the penalty area. 

Taylor O’Leary carried on where she left off in the first half with good midfield coverage, as she has been doing so well throughout the recent run of games.  Spurs had more chances through Nikki Hunnable and Ayse Mustafa, but the Enfield keeper managed to push the ball over the cross-bar each time.  After 15 minutes, Renata Inniss replaced Nikki Hunnable, then more saves were made by the Enfield keeper to keep the home side in the match.  

With five minutes to go until the end of the game, Ayse Mustafa and Taylor O’Leary chanced their luck, only to find the ball going wide of the post each time. 

It was a good effort by the Spurs squad, but they still have to communicate more on the pitch and keep their concentration until that final whistle is blown. 

Ricardo Inniss

No other results

The Under-11s emulated their Under-13 counterparts this week by winning the London Youth FA Cup with a scintillating second half performance against Moonshot Juniors.   

The first half was a close affair with both sides nervously feeling their way in the early stages of the final.  There were few clear cut chances, but the majority of them were at the Moonshot end.  Five minutes into the match, Ayse Mustafa and Taylor O'Leary played some nice passes between them and made good ground up the right wing, ending with Taylor firing in a shot over the bar from outside the penalty area.  In the next attack, Shianne St. Louis threw in to Taylor, who was again too high with her shot.

Three minutes later, Renata Inniss made a good run on the right and brought a good save from the Moonshot keeper and from the corner, the ball fell to Renata again, but she hit her shot over the bar.  It looked as though Spurs had taken the lead after 10 minutes, but Ayse's 25 yard drive narrowly missed and hit the side netting.

Tottenham continued to press and kept their opponents inside their own half.  When the ball did get through to Daisy O'Sullivan, she instigated a good chance.  A quarter of an hour had passed, when her long kick upfield set Renata away and she passed inside to Nikki Hunnable, who did well to turn in the area and hit a shot that curled just wide of the far post.

A minute later and Moonshot had their best chance of the half, when a forward broke away and Daisy produced a good save as she bore down on goal, keeping the ball out with her legs.  Before the end of the half, Taylor once more took a snapshot from a Shianne throw-in, but it was over the top and then Nikki hit a low drive that saw the Moonshot Juniors keeper dive low to save.

With no-score in the first half, it looked as though it might be a close-fought thing, but just two minutes and forty seconds into the second half, Spurs made the breakthrough that saw them on the road to the Cup. Taylor broke through the right side of the Moonshot defence to send a pile-driver past the keeper to make it 1-0.  It was a goal that brought Spurs forward with more purpose and two minutes later Nikki hit a good rising shot that the keeper saved high up near the post.

Ayse won a tackle on the right hand touchline with five minutes of the half gone and played a low ball into the box.  It was cleared by the Moonshot defence, but unfortunately for them, it was straight to Taylor, who drilled is back past the keeper for her second goal in three minutes.

Tottenham were now passing the ball well and Charlotte Dean fizzed an effort just past the angle, before the Spurs goal was threatened by a Moonshot free-kick that went just wide of the target.  Nicole Bailey was finding confidence to attack down the left wing from her defensive station and one great run in the 12th minute saw her pull the ball back across goal, but it was just behind Georgia Bruce.  Ayse was also looking for a goal and one shot drew a good save again from the opposition goalie, but the loose ball produced a goalmouth scramble with Charlotte just being thwarted in her attempt to force the ball home.

In the 15th minute of the second half, Nicole hit a long shot that was blocked for a corner and from that, the ball was not cleared, but fell to Renata, who drilled it across the face of goal, where Georgia was on hand to hit the ball into the roof of the net for the third Spurs goal.

This produced a response from Moonshot Juniors, who forced a 19th minute corner of their own and from it, Daisy made a good save with her foot, as the low shot looked as though it would have crept in by the post.  Spurs broke away from their goal-kick and Hannah Lyons produced a good bit of work to create space for a shot that the keeper saved low down.  Moonshot hit back again and only a good interception by Olivia Keown stopped a shot on goal.  

With time running out, Moonshot were striving to get back in the game, but taking the ball in midfield, Renata Inniss ran at their defence.  She showed good skill to cut inside her marker and from outside the area, she hit a low shot that deceived the keeper and flew in to make it 4-0.

Spurs were not finished, as Charlotte hit a shot from a Moonshot goal-kick that the keeper did well to keep out, while, right at the end, a Moonshot effort from the left hand corner of the area was well saved by Daisy, who palmed the ball onto the post and gratefully grabbed the ball as it bounced back into her arms.

It was a hard-earned win, but the non-stop attacking by Spurs finally broke down the Moonshot defence in the second half and the South London side provided stiff opposition to our girls in a match that really tested them.  Congratulations should go to both teams for a well contested London Youth FA Cup Final.

Photos from the game can be viewed by clicking here.

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It certainly was a battle from the kick off with neither side having full control in the first half.  It was Garston Ladies who took the lead after five minutes when a shot from the Garston player flew off a Spurs defender and unfortunately lobbed the keeper.  

From a throw in, Phoebe crossed the ball to Renata, who fought off tackles from two Garston defenders, to score with her left foot to make the score 1-1.  Chances were created by both sides for the remaining 17 minutes but neither side could capitalise on their chances.

The first 15 minutes of the second half was evenly matched until Spurs created a few more chances but only to be denied on each occasion.  Garston Ladies not to be out-done twice saw their efforts saved by Daisy O'Sullivan.  Spurs Ladies had a clear chance to edge ahead in the last five minutes through Charlotte Dean, but she shot just wide of the post.

A good competitive game and with a bit of strategy Spurs Ladies can win the next time they meet.

Ricardo Inniss

Other results :

Hitchin Belles Blues  0    Northwood  2     
Luton Town Belles  11    Buntingford Cougars  0     

The first half kicked off at 10:30am with Shianne St. Louis, Hannah Lyons, Harley Keenlyside, Phoebe Ogunwobi and Georgia Bruce on the bench.  

The play was evenly matched for the first 15 minutes before Spurs almost scored on several occasions.  The luck element was missing from the Spurs team who deserved to go in at half time with at least one goal to their name. 

Nikki Hunnable rallied to win the ball from the opposition several times and like her team mates, could not find the back of the net.  Some excellent work down the wing by Phoebe and Ayse Mustafa was supported in midfield by Renata Inniss and Taylor O'Leary.  Nicole Bailey and Olivia Keown held off the Garston charge that had looked menacing for the first 20 minutes.  This first half ended after 27 minutes of play with both keepers having a clean goal sheet. 

The second half saw Spurs Ladies edge ahead in the first five minutes through Taylor and this was followed by goals from Phoebe, Renata and Hannah.  

Garston did create a few chances but Daisy O'Sullivan was on hand each time to block them.  Some lovely runs on the right wing by Nicole had the Garston defence scampering back to protect their goal towards the end of the game. 

Another good competitive game which the Spurs team won by being more forceful in the second half.

 Ricardo Inniss

Other results :

League Cup quarter finals
Hoddesdon Owls  1    Enfield Town Ladies A  3     
Luton Town Belles  4    Queens Park Rangers  1    
Harvesters  2    St. Albans City Youth  0 (aet)   

League
Stevenage Borough Vixens  1     Buntingford Cougars  4     
Hatfield Legion Belles  2     Northwood  3    

The full-strength Spurs Ladies Under-11 squad came to do battle with a little less skilful but well disciplined Luton side. 

Both sides fought well on the muddy pitch for the full 25 minutes of the first half.  Spurs missed their chances as in previous games, but also kept the Belles at bay.  The game was scattered with stoppages and this disrupted the flow of the play. 

It was expected that the Spurs ladies would come away with a win for the fact that they always come on stronger in the second half of most their games.  However, the players on the pitch were unable to maintain their tempo and Luton capitalised on this and as usual, went ahead from an error in defence in the dying minutes of the game. 

The Luton manager celebrated at the end of the game, but this was a match that the Belles could easily have lost or drawn. 

Next match will be at home for the HGFL Cup semi-final against the same opponents.  Let's hope that it ends as a home win.

Ricardo Inniss

Other results :

Enfield Town Ladies A  0     Garston Ladies  2     
Buntingford Cougars  0     Queens Park Rangers  11    

It was a valiant effort by Spurs who dominated this semi-final, but in the end the defensive tactics of Luton Town Belles just held them out for the game to go through to a penalty shoot-out, which the visitors won.

It was an early goal that saw the Belles take the lead, with a forward breaking to slip a shot past Daisy as she came out to close her down in the first minute.  After that, it was mainly Tottenham pressure, as they battered away at the Luton defence.  A shot from Phoebe Ogunwobi went wide at one end, while a speculative effort by Luton did the same at the other.  Nicole Bailey and Olivia Keown were making it difficult for the Belles forwards to break through and this caused the Spurs midfield to be more able to push forward.

With Tottenham passing the ball extremely well, Phoebe and Ayse Mustafa played a neat one-two and moving into the area, Phoebe stroked home the equaliser for Spurs.

With a quarter of an hour gone, Ogunwobi played an astute pass through to Nikki Hunnable, who's shot was blocked by a defender.  The score was a fair reflection of the first half action, but Tottenham stepped up the tempo in the second and Luton were pushed back into their own half for long periods.

Phoebe has an early chance, but the keeper saved well as she was isolated as the shot came in and then Taylor O'Leary, who was behind a lot of the attacking play, had a volley saved.  Ayse Mustafa hit a looping effort just over the top and then Nicole Bailey's 20 yard free-kick fizzed wide of the mark.  Taylor had an effort from a similar distance go over the bar and another that flew a foot wide from a corner.  In between, Luton Town earned a corner and as it was swung it, it hit the outside of the post.

With seconds remaining, Charlotte Dean and Ayse created an opening for Taylor to drive the ball in, but her shot was pulled wide to the left of the goal.

So, the game entered extra time and in the first five minutes, Luton produced a break and Daisy saved the low shot that came in by kicking the ball away.  A Spurs corner in the second half came in and Phoebe was just unable to make a good contact with it as she shaped to volley it in.  

With no further score in the extra ten minutes, the dreaded penalty shoot-out began with Luton changing their keeper for the decisive section of the match.

Luton scored their first penalty and then Renata Inniss hit an almost perfect penalty that hit the underside of the bar, but bounced out.  Luton scored again and Taylor's effort was saved by the big keeper.  A third successful Belles spot-kick was followed by Nikki Hunnable netting Tottenham's first goal and then Daisy O'Sullivan made things interesting with a save with her feet to the fourth Town kick.  Ayse Mustafa confidently converted her go and with one kick each left, the next goal by Luton settled the tie and a well-fought out semi-final was a credit to both sides.

Other results :

Denham United Wildcats  8    Stevenage Borough Vixens  0     

Renata Inniss started the match as captain and she worked hard alongside Ayse Mustafa in midfield to fend off the hard pressing Cambridge City, but they could not stop them taking the lead.  Cambridge City had a couple more chances, but failed to score thanks to some good saves from Daisy O'Sullivan.  Spurs had to be on their guard each time to prevent the City attack who also looked good in defence. 

Nikki Hunnable started the second half and rallying well against a stubborn City attack but was substituted by Charlotte after 10 minutes.  Cambridge City kept up the pressure on Spurs Ladies who had Renata and Ayse working extra hard in the midfield before Renata was moved to a forward position with Phoebe Ogunwobi.  Minutes later, Renata headed the ball toward the City net only to see it cleared off the line.  The ball fell to Phoebe who shot at goal and had the ball intercepted by the City defence, but Renata was on hand with her right foot to slot the ball home for the equaliser.  Phoebe eventually extended the Spurs tally to put them ahead and managed to stem the City attack for the rest of the game. 

It was a testing game for Spurs Ladies against the worthy opponents of Cambridge City who look very competitive.

Ricardo Inniss

Other results :

Garston Ladies  7     Denham United  1    
Queens Park Rangers  1     Luton Town Belles  1    

Awaiting match report. 

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Other results :

Queens Park Rangers  -    Enfield Town Ladies A  -     
Garston Ladies  -     Stevenage Borough Vixens  -     

The U11 friendly match against Manchester City was breath taking.

Charlotte Dean took the first spell as goal keeper, followed by Renata Inniss, then Hannah Lyons.

The Manchester City players were a better team than Luton in as much than they have talent in each team member, not just a few individuals.  The most outstanding City player was the goal keeper, who pulled off some very good saves from the Spurs attack time and time again.

It was good to see Hannah back from her illness and she really had a good day out like her team-mates.

I can only visualise what the game would have been if it was an eleven a side match.  The outstanding feature of the game for me from the Spurs Ladies was how the linked each other with some lovely passes. They had to be on their toes because  the City team had three substitutes and they were utilised to maximum effect by the manager with frequent rolling on and off changes.

Unfortunately, as you know, the day ended on a sad note as England went down 1-0 to Sweden.

Ricardo Inniss