The girls were excited for their first match and couldn’t wait for the game to start and when it did Spurs took early possession and within a few minutes Ronnell took a shot on goal which went wide.  However it wasn’t long before following a great pass into the box from the wing, Charlie picked up the ball and put it past the goalie into the net, making the score 0-1 and giving Charlie not only her first goal for Spurs but the season opener ! 

The game continued with what turned out to be a very evenly matched half with both teams taking the ball up and down the pitch.  Substitutions were made with Charlie coming off and Lauren taking her place, and then Alice swapping with Megan.  Daniela didn’t get to exercise those goalie gloves until nearly half time which was down to our solid defence, which included last year’s Most Improved Player, Alice, showing us how much she has come on.   

With the half time whistle about to blow, Jacqueline, who had given a very strong first half performance, came off the pitch and Charlie went back on, this time in defence. 

The second half kicked off with Jacqueline back on the pitch and Charlie back in midfield.  After five minutes play, Ellis came on to give Chloe a well earned rest. 

Enfield Town were beginning to look the stronger team, taking and keeping possession, and managing to take a few shots on goal, but Daniela kept a cool head, even when the goal mouth got quite crowded and made some great saves keeping the score unchanged.  The Spurs girls battled back and made sure they stayed ahead with the girls learning to work together with great direction from new coach Dave Lane. 

After five minutes on the pitch, Ellis took her place back on the ‘bench’ with orders to rest an injury !  With several substitutions taking place during the match, the girls were kept fresh and came back on the pitch full of energy. 

After some nervous moments for the Spurs girls with Enfield making a last attempt to score, the final whistle blew with the girls winning their first match of the season, giving them all a well deserved confidence boost.  Player of the Match went to Charlie for a great performance and for scoring a goal in her first match. 

Well done girls, looking forward to a great season !

diane lunn

bedmond ajax  1     denham united  0      

Nell meant business from the whistle and went straight through the middle taking the ball from the opposition’s feet before the girls could barely get it off the centre spot!  As they did last week, Spurs took immediate possession and it wasn’t long before Nell took a shot from the edge of the box which was well saved by the keeper.  Unaccustomed to the unusually warm weather, a couple of the girls started to look tired early on in the game and it wasn’t long before the first substitutions were made with Ellis coming off, being replaced by Charlie, shortly followed by Megan going on to replace Alice.  The substitutions continued throughout the game with the girls being switched on and off the pitch regularly, giving them all a chance to play and rest. 

Despite several missed opportunities for Spurs, it wasn’t until 20 minutes into the game, following a perfect pass from Chloe out on the wing, into the box, where Ellis, waiting on the far post, didn’t disappoint and volleyed the ball into the corner of the net, giving Spurs a well-deserved lead. 

For the second half, Chloe and Nell were given a rest and Lauren and Charlie took their place in the line up.  The Spurs girls again had majority possession but despite plenty of attempts on goal, the Bedmond keeper knew her stuff and the the score remained the same.  However, she was caught out following a pass from Laney into the box, when a Bedmond player caught the ball on the back of her foot and scored an own-goal, giving Spurs a 2-0 lead. 

Daniela wasn’t stretched too much today only seeing the ball on a couple of occasions to scoop it up, but it was good to know she was there waiting should a Bedmond player break through.   

The last and final goal came from a pass from Ellis coming down the middle of the pitch, through into Charlie who finding herself unmarked, easily put the ball past the keeper giving Spurs another goal. 

Player of the Match today went to Megan who played well in both defence and midfield and put the ball safely back up the pitch on plenty of occasions with the now infamous Megan kick !

diane lunn

lauren howland

enfield town  3     denham united  0      

Spurs Ladies travelled to Denham today for their last match in the Chairman’s Cup first round.  Today’s team line up started with Daniela Charles in goal, Rebecca Lane (Laney), Megan Jones and Jacqueline McLucas in defence, Chloe Tunnicliffe, Ronnell Humes (Nell) and Ellis Lunn in midfield with Rebecca Mills (Bex), Alice Simmonds, Charlie-Leigh Dixon ready and waiting to go on.  Unfortunately, due to an injury picked up during warm-up, Lauren Howland was unable to play today but vocally supported the girls from her seat on the sidelines. 

The girls meant business from the off and within the first minute their enthusiasm was rewarded following a great through pass from Laney out to Nell who then passed the ball into Ellis which she put into the back of the net despite the goalie trying her best to stop it.  It was set to be an exciting game and the Spurs girls didn’t disappoint.  Spurs kept up the pressure on the Denham goal and all due credit to the goalie for managing to keep the ball out.  Despite it looking as if Spurs would score anytime soon, our next goal came with help from their opponents when following a Spurs corner, a Denham girl flicked the ball into the net, a mirror image of last weeks’ own goal. 

Spurs were starting to play together as a team and we saw some good positioning and intelligent passing from all the girls.  In defence the girls were really working well together and covering each other with Alice and Bex making some great clearances. In midfield and upfront the girls were learning to communicate and pass well to each other.  Spurs were starting to relax into the game and enjoy themselves, they were in control and loving it.  This soon paid off when Charlie picked up a pass from Jacqueline and made a solo run through the Denham defence and scored goal number three. 

Spurs continued their goal-fest with a goal from Megan who picked up a cross from Chloe.  On first attempt the keeper parried the ball out but quick thinking Megan had another shot which this time went in, scoring the last goal of the first half bringing the score to 0-4.   

The second half started with the Denham girls looking stronger, determined to come back, and it wasn’t long before they opened their score sheet making the score 1-4.  On a roll, the Denham girls added to their tally, bringing the score to 2-4.  Both goals were unstoppable and Daniela threw herself across the goal in an attempt to keep them out.  Spurs were now starting to look worried and knew they’d have to up their game to keep the lead and despite again several opportunities on goal from Spurs, the final goal finally came following a corner from Jacqueline which Nell picked up at the near post and volleyed into the corner of the net, making the score 5-2. 

With another win for Spurs this takes them to top of Group B.  Well done girls!  A great performance from all the girls and Jacqueline was awarded Player of the Match for her hard work and determination in a very important holding position on the field.

Thanks to hosts Denham for their usual brilliant hospitality and bacon sandwiches !

diane lunn

bedmond ajax  0       enfield town  3    

With a full team available the game commenced with the usual line up of Daniela Charles in goal, Rebecca Lane (Laney), Alice Simmonds and Jacqueline McLucas in defence, Chloe Tunnicliffe and Ronnell Humes in midfield, Ellis Lunn upfront with Rebecca Mills (Bex), Megan Jones, Charlie-Leigh Dixon and Lauren Howland on the ‘bench’. 

Yet again from the off, Spurs again took possession and they weren’t going to give it up easily.  Although the first goal didn’t come as quickly as last week, it wasn’t long before it looked as if the Spurs girls might score when the keeper fumbled the ball and a quick response shot from Nell saw it hit the post.  The girls played on and it was newly substituted Charlie who crossed the ball into Ellis who took a shot which went under the keeper’s hands giving Spurs the first goal of the day.  It wasn’t long before we again saw Ellis in action when she picked up a another cross from Charlie and ensuring it wasn’t wasted, put the ball in the back of the net bringing the score 2-0.   

The girls were on a roll and enjoying a great game.  The next goal wasn’t far away when Laney scored her first goal of the season, when she took a chance shot from way outside the box which took everyone by surprise when it rolled through the defence and past the keeper into the net.  With the score now at 3-0, Daniela hadn’t seen the ball too much up her end, however, taking the decision to come out to make a save, the Denham player managed to get the ball past her and just as the ball was about to cross the line, Charlie was there to cover Daniela and kicked to ball safely out.  Well saved Charlie ! 

With most of the action one end, the defenders were doing a great job and working really hard should the ball make it’s way past the half way line.  Alice looked really strong putting pressure on Denham and covering the other girls at the back.  Jacqueline worked really hard moving up and down the pitch, creating some great opportunities for the girls in midfield and upfront. 

After a quiet end to the first half, the second half started with the Spurs girls again looking strong, with the Ellis-Nell-Chloe partnership working well up front, all reading each other’s next moves.  This proved itself when Nell passed the ball into Ellis from the wing and Ellis completed her hat-trick by volleying it into the net. 

Megan was a welcome sight on the pitch in the second half and as ever she worked really hard, completing a strong line up with Laney and Jacqueline at the back.  With a Denham player making a mistake and fouling Ellis on the edge of the box, Spurs were awarded a penalty which Ellis stepped up to take.  Without hesitation, and putting her penalty demons behind her, she put the ball past the keeper giving Spurs a 5-0 lead.   

It was a quiet second half for Daniela only seeing the ball on the rare occasion and booting it confidently back up the pitch !  Rebecca Mills (Bex) made her second appearance in the game, coming on the pitch to give Ellis a rest and she was ready and waiting in the box when Chloe performed a perfectly timed pass into the box, where Bex picked it up, turned and put the ball into the net giving all her team-mates (and proud mum !) cause to celebrate - a long-awaited first goal for Bex !!  With renewed confidence, Bex continued to play a strong game and it looked as if Nell might score following a lovely pass in from Bex, but it hit the top bar.  The match finished with the score remaining at 6-0. 

Team Spurs are looking stronger every week and today’s Player of the Match went to a well deserved Bex, which her team mates more than agreed with, although Outstanding Performance went to Ellis for those four great goals.

diane lunn

tottenham hotspur : -  (rolling subs used)

lauren howland

enfield town  2     hampstead  1       

The match kicked off and from the whistle the Enfield girls were looking strong and took immediate control of the game.  The Spurs girls were unusually lethargic and took a while to get into their stride by which time Enfield had made the most of this and taken a shot on goal, but luckily Daniela was wide awake and safely took hold of the ball.   

It was turning out to be a tough but equally matched game. Spurs couldn’t get their usual control on the ball and Enfield continued to dominate with Spurs having to defend hard and Daniela was being tested more than usual.  Megan, who was looking strong at the back, unfortunately took an early knock and was replaced by Alice who came on to give a solid performance in defence, making some good clearances and putting pressure on Enfield.  With few chances on goal from Spurs the whistle blew at half time with the score at 0-0. 

The second half kicked off with Enfield again looking strong and within seconds were again threatening the goal but luck was on our side and even with some good chances, Enfield failed to score.  Spurs seemed to wake up a bit and started to battle back as the game continued but despite some great runs from Nell, Charlie and Chloe, Spurs couldn’t score either. 

With just ten minutes left on the clock and the score looking like it would remain at 0-0 until the final whistle, Ellis came on the pitch.  Following some fancy footwork from Chloe who bought the ball into the box, managing to nutmeg an Enfield defender on her way, she took a shot which hit the post.  From the rebound, Ellis managed to keep the ball in play on the far side of the box and she wasted no time in firing it back towards the net and this time their determination paid off and the keeper couldn’t stop it.  At last they’d broken the stalemate and Spurs were 1-0 up.  With advice from the sidelines to stay focused to keep the lead for the last five minutes, the game kicked off again.  Ellis, now fired up, intercepted a pass between the Enfield girls and made a solo run up the pitch and with just the keeper in front of her she knocked it into the corner of the goal giving Spurs the all important 2-0 lead. 

The final whistle blew with the score staying at 2-0.  It’d been a tough match for the two teams with Spurs hopefully learning for future matches. 

Ellis was awarded Player of the Match but all the girls should be congratulated for working hard and staying focused during a tough match and a special mention for Bex and Lauren who didn’t get much play today but were fully supportive of their team mates.

diane lunn

lauren howland

enfield rangers  3     bedmond ajax  0    

Today Tottenham Hotspur Ladies Under-11s travelled the short distance to play Enfield Rangers. The game commenced with the line up of Daniela Charles in goal, Rebecca Lane (Laney) and Megan Jones in defence, Jacqueline McLucas in a holding position, Charlie-Leigh Dixon and Ronnell Humes in midfield, Ellis Lunn upfront and Rebecca Mills (Bex), Chloe Tunnicliffe and Lauren Howland on the ‘bench’. 

The game kicked off with Spurs dispossessing Enfield Rangers straight away which resulted in Nell taking an eager shot which went wide.  An evenly matched game ensued with both teams defending well and both Megan and Laney putting pressure on Enfield and clearing the ball on several occasions.  It looked as if Spurs might score nearing half time when Ellis got on the end of the ball but it hit the post. 

At half time the game remained 0-0 and the game re-started with the Spurs girls looking a little lack-lustre and frustrated they couldn’t get the all important first goal.  It looked hopeful when Spurs were awarded a free kick but despite Jacqueline taking a good shot on target, the goalie was ready and waiting.   

In a mirror image of last week’s game with time running out and no goals, it was a clearance pass from Laney up the pitch, which Ellis flicked on to Chloe, who fired the ball into the back of the net giving Spurs the long awaited goal.  Within minutes it looked as if Nell, who was looking extremely strong in midfield throughout the game, might score, but the goalie parried it away.  Nell, not one to miss a chance, took another shot which this time skimmed outside the post. 

Despite Spurs getting that all important boost of confidence, Enfield Rangers looked as if they might score the equaliser when their number 8 made a break up the pitch but Daniela bravely came out to take the ball from her feet.  With minutes left on the clock, Spurs were looking for another goal and again Chloe saw her chance when the defender mis-kicked and Chloe was there behind her to scoop up the ball and again put it into the net.   

The score was now 2-0 and not much time left on the clock.  Bex was now playing up front and showing a great determination to score.  However, following a goal mouth scramble, which resulted from Lauren making a great back pass into the box, Chloe picked up a loose ball and lobbed it towards the goal and even she looked surprised when it fell into the net, completing her hat-trick.  She makes it look so easy ! 

With the final whistle blowing just seconds later, Spurs’ patience had paid off and they’d taken the well deserved three points with another clean sheet.  Chloe was awarded Player of the Match for a strong performance and those three great goals.  

diane lunn

tottenham hotspur : -  (rolling subs used)

lauren howland

bedmond ajax  1     luton town  4   
qpr  9    enfield town  0    
denham united  v  hampstead  -  away win awarded   

Today Spurs Ladies Under-11s travelled to play league newbies, St Albans in the HCGFL.  With a full team to choose from, the game commenced with the line up of Daniela Charles in goal, Rebecca Lane (Laney) and Alice Simmonds in defence, Jacqueline McLucas (Jac) in a holding position, Charlie-Leigh Dixon and Chloe Tunnicliffe in midfield, Rebecca Mills (Bex) upfront and Ellis Lunn, Ronnell Humes (Nell), Megan Jones and Lauren Howland on the ‘bench’. 

With the conditions against them, a strong wind, a sloping pitch and an afternoon kick-off, the Spurs girls didn’t start well, although an early chance for Bex to score was saved.  The girls were lacking their usual enthusiasm and the basic skills were clearly missing today.  St Albans were putting up a good fight and had a strong defence, making it hard to for Spurs to make the break they needed.  However, following a pass from Nell into Charlie, who had an open goal in front of her, she put the ball past the keeper giving Spurs the lead. 

With some questionable referee decisions, St Albans were awarded a free-kick, which was, all credit to St Albans, a great shot.  Daniela got to the ball with both hands, but unfortunately the ball tipped over her hands and fell into the goal. 

Spurs managed to pull it back before the long awaited half time whistle with Charlie scoring her second of the day. 

The game continued with Spurs getting the majority of chances, although still their usual momentum and team work was lacking.   

Lauren was on for the second half, playing on the wing, and she put in a good strong performance, running the wing with determination.  With corner after corner, Spurs couldn’t get past the St Albans defence until Ellis took a shot which bounced off a defender, but all was not lost as Nell picked up the ball and looped it from outside the box seeing it fall perfectly into the net, bringing the score to 3-1. 

The final goal of the game came from a corner taken by Jac, which Chloe volleyed from between the St. Albans defenders and put the ball into the back of the net. 

Despite some good individual performances, the game was a frustrating one today and the girls didn’t put in their best performance as a team and were lucky to come away with a win, despite the goals.  However, Lauren was awarded Player of the Match as she put in a great performance and gave everything she had during her time on the pitch.

diane lunn

tottenham hotspur : -  (rolling subs used)

lauren howland

denham united  3    enfield rangers  1    
hampstead  2        luton town  2   

The Under-11s of THLFC today played host to Luton Town in the Chairman’s Cup semi-final.   With a full team to choose from, the game commenced with the line up of Daniela Charles in goal, Rebecca Lane (Laney) and Alice Simmonds in defence, Jacqueline McLucas (Jac) in a holding position, Ronnell Humes (Nell), Chloe Tunnicliffe and Ellis Lunn in midfield, with Rebecca Mills (Bex), Charlie-Leigh Dixon, Megan Jones and Lauren Howland waiting in the wings. 

This would be the first meeting of the two teams this season so neither team knew what to expect and the game kicked off with both teams looking strong, although it was Chloe who took an early shot which turned out to be the first of many saved by the Luton keeper.  Alice immediately shone in defence showing great strength, complementing both Laney and Jac who were both working hard.  A good chance soon followed from Luton which saw Daniela coming out to make a save, but the ball went past her and looked as if might go in the goal but Chloe appeared and knocked the ball out to safety. 

It soon turned out that Luton’s No 5 was the one to watch and despite attempts to keep an eye on her she regularly made the break keeping Daniela on her toes.  Daniela worked hard in goal and made some great saves, at times braving players’ feet to come out to scoop up the ball.  The half time whistle blew with the score remaining at 0-0. 

The second half commenced much the same with Spurs looking the stronger team and following some great passing they managed to get some good chances on goal, but Luton’s defence closed them down every time.  Luton finally got the goal they’d been waiting for when Luton found a gap and passed the ball up to their waiting No.5, who had slipped away from the Spurs defence and put the ball past Daniela giving them a 0-1 lead.  She is definitely a player to watch ! 

Spurs kept their heads up and continued to keep up the pressure, which led to a very exciting end to the game, but they still struggled to break down a resolute Luton defence.  Unfortunately, a strong Luton defence coupled with a very good keeper, meant that Spurs couldn’t equalise the score and Luton kept their lead, putting them through to the finals. 

It had been a tough match and some of the Spurs girls got very little or no play today and these girls should be praised for their teamwork and patience.  The team was congratulated on an all round team performance today, which was much improved on last week’s game, and for this reason Player of the Match was awarded to the whole team. 

Well done to Luton and we wish them and the other finalist, QPR, good luck in the final.

diane lunn

lauren howland

chairman's cup semi-final
enfield town  1     qpr  5   

league
enfield rangers  0     hampstead  6       
denham united  1    bedmond ajax  1    

enfield town  0     qpr  4   
bedmond ajax  2     st. albans city  3   
luton town  4    enfield rangers  1    
hampstead  2        denham united  0   

Today Tottenham Ladies played host to Bedmond Ajax for a league match.  With Chloe Tunnicliffe unable to make the re-scheduled Sunday fixture and usual goalie Daniela Charles (Dani) stuck in traffic, the game commenced with the line up of Charlie-Leigh Dixon pulling on the goalie gloves, Rebecca Lane (Laney) and Megan Jones at the back, Jacqueline McLucas (Jac) in her now familiar holding position, Ronnell Humes (Nell) and Lauren Howland in midfield and Ellis Lunn, who was proud to take the captain’s armband in Chloe’s absence, upfront.  Rebecca Mills (Bex) and Alice Simmonds were on the side waiting their turn. 

It was a slow start to the game with the drizzle and the already soaked ground making it hard work under foot for the girls to get into their stride.  Neither team were taking majority possession and the ball remained in open play for quite some time.  Finally, Spurs’ chance came when Ellis got hold of the ball and seeing Lauren up the pitch, threaded it through to her.  Lauren took a shot and the ball deflected off a Bedmond defender and Spurs took the lead as the ball rolled into the corner of the net, catching the keeper off-guard. 

With Spurs 1-0 up the game continued at the same pace.  Megan was showing great strength in defence, working well with her team mates.  Half way through the first half, Alice and Bex came on to replace Megan and Lauren.  The substitutions were swiftly followed by a free kick taken by Jac, which although a powerful shot on target, it was well saved by the keeper.  Shortly after Nell went down with an injury and went off for a rest and with the recent arrival of Dani, she took up her position in goal, relieving Charlie who had done a good job stepping in at the last minute. 

The second half kicked off and Charlie was back on the field in her usual midfield position.  Alice consistently looked strong in defence although she was the next to get injured following a nasty clash with a Bedmond player and it looked as if she’d have to come off but she bravely got up and carried on. 

Spurs’ next goal didn’t look too far away with the girls getting the ball going in the right direction but were foiled at each attempt.  Ellis was the next to take a shot on target but again the keeper was waiting.  When it looked as if it wasn’t going to happen, Charlie took the ball down the wing and round two defenders to put the ball past the keeper giving Spurs a 2-0 lead. 

Jac was having to continually work hard in her position backed up by Laney and Megan, who was again back on the pitch, giving Alice a well earned rest.  Bedmond looked as if they might score with a great shot from the edge of the box, but Dani was there ready and threw herself into the top corner to stop the ball going over the line.  Spurs’ final chance came just before the final whistle when Nell, who had now recovered and had come back on to replace Ellis, took a shot but the keeper did a great job keeping it out, however not managing to quite get hold of it, Charlie took her chance with another shot but the keeper was back up and waiting and this time took hold of the ball just as the final whistle blew with Spurs taking the three points. 

It had been an enjoyable but tiring game for the girls.  Nell was awarded Player of the Match.

diane lunn

lauren howland

enfield town  3     luton town  4   
enfield rangers  1     st. albans city  1   
qpr  6    hampstead  0       

-

tottenham hotspur : -  (rolling subs used)

lauren howland

enfield town  5     enfield rangers  0    
st. albans city  0    hampstead  0