Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC -

Under-12 match reports 2005-06

The game was only six minutes old when Whitney burst through a group of four Garston players to deliver a fierce shot into the roof of the net to open the scoring for Tottenham.  Seven minutes later, she had made it 2-0 when she broke away from the Garston defence and ct across her marker from the left hand side of the box to place a shot two feet off the ground that flew past the keeper.

After 18 minutes of the game, Garston were back in it when their number nine, who was a threat all match, broke away and put a low shot past Daisy O'Sullivan to bring the score back to 2-1.  The two goal cushion was restored six minutes later when Whitney turned provider.  She flicked up a ball in to her feet and squared it for Ayse Mustafa to run onto it and shoot high into the top corner to make it 3-1.

The second half begun just like the first, with Whitney scoring after six minutes.  She burst through the middle and buried her shot past the goalie to complete her treble with a fine finish.  Another six minutes passed before the next Spurs goal and this time it was Renata Inniss who was on the spot to convert a loose ball from a corner from close range making it 5-1 to Tottenham.

Garston still kept plugging away and Daisy had to make a couple of saves before the Garston striker broke away and put her shot across Daisy to make it 5-2 and that closed by another goal, just two minutes before the end of the game.  Rounding off her own hat-trick, the Garston number nine hit a shot over Daisy to make the final score 5-3, but the win was enough for Spurs to keep the pressure on at the top of the league where QPR and Luton drew today.

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Spurs lost on penalties

The first half kicked off at 14:35 with Olivia Keown, Georgia Bruce and Hannah Lyons on the bench. 

Spurs Ladies dominated the first 10 minutes of the game only to find themselves 1-0 down when the ball from a corner kick bounced off a QPR player into the Spurs goal.  That goal gave inspiration to QPR who battled for every ball afterwards.  The equaliser came from a free kick taken by Nikki Hunnable in the 28^th minute, where a QPR defender tried to clear the ball, but deflected it into her own net. 

Rosie Kmita, Renata Inniss and Olivia Keown were benched for the start of the second half.

Spurs Ladies were unlucky not to score in the opening three minutes when Whitney Tango’s shot at goal hit the crossbar.  After 10 minutes play, Nikki was substituted by Renata but replaced Hannah 10 minutes later. QPR had previously tested goalkeeper Daisy O’Sullivan on three occasions who was equally up to the task, but then went ahead 2-1 when Spurs failed to close down the Rangers attacker who shot low and hard. 

Spurs mounted further attacks on the QPR goal, but never gave full support to each other in the final 10 minutes when it mattered.  Taylor did well in midfield to slow down the QPR attack whilst Shianne St Louis tidied up the defence at crucial stages.  The equaliser came when Renata took the ball from the half way line into the QPR penalty area where help arrived just in time from Whitney who netted the ball in the 25^th minute.  Five minutes later the referee blew for full time with the score 2-2. 

Two halves of extra time were played without any goals scored, but there was some controversy as there had been during normal time of the match. 

Renata converted the first penalty and it looked as though Spurs might just have a change of luck when the QPR player mis-kicked the ball.  Unfortunately the other penalty takers failed to capitalise on this whilst QPR netted two to secure a place in the final.

RICARDO INNISS

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Spurs went ahead in the first nine minutes through Whitney Tango after which Spurs Ladies seem to relax for the next 20 minutes.  This allowed Garston to equalise just before the whistle for the end of the first half. 

A stern talking-to from the Jayne Foster saw a better second half for Spurs Ladies in which Whitney Tango scored three more goals before leaving the field with five minutes of play remaining.  Shianne St Louis kept the defence organised, whilst Taylor O’Leary took control in the midfield. 

Top marks to the referee who took full control of the game. 

RICARDO INNISS

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A cool and slightly overcast morning with a firm green top pitch was the perfect setting for a Cup final let alone another league match.  Spurs took all of ten minutes to get into gear when Charlotte Dean claimed the first scalp for a 1-0 lead and then the Spurs Ladies team began to string their passes together all over the pitch for most of the remaining 20 minutes, without being troubled too much by the Bushey Rangers attack.  Renata Inniss gave Spurs a 2-0 cushion in the 26^th minute and it was arguable on how many Spurs could have scored in the first session. 

The second half kicked off with some sharp, quick passing which lead to Spurs' third goal from Whitney Tango after five minutes play.  From then on, Spurs Ladies went on a goal rampage whilst denying Bushey Rangers any kind of consolation goal. 

It was the individual skills and team work that made their job easier than when the two teams met previously.  Renata Inniss scored twice to complete her hat trick, Charlotte Dean added another to her tally, whilst Ayse Mustafa ended her lean spell by scoring twice.  Georgia Bruce also got onto the score-sheet with Whitney Tango providing goal number eleven. 

It was goal number six that stood out from the rest when Nikki Hunnable collected the ball from inside the half-way line, ran down the right wing before cutting inside to the penalty area and hitting the ball with enough pace to steer it past the out-stretched hand of the Bushey Rangers goalkeeper. 

Spurs Ladies showed a very positive attitude toward challenging for the League Champions title.

RICARDO INNISS

Garston Ladies  12     St. Martins  1      

Spurs Ladies were at full strength and looked quite relaxed before the game.

Spurs went ahead in the first five minutes through Nikki Hunnable before Enfield Town equalised in the 9^th minute from a well taken corner kick that swerved into the far side of the Spurs goal.  A minute later, Whitney Tango restored the Spurs lead and then gave them a two-goal cushion after 15 minutes play.  Renata Inniss made it 4-1 in the twentieth minute at which time Enfield Town couldn’t match the Spurs team, who displayed their passing skills. Five minutes later Whitney extended the Spurs lead to 5-1.    

The Enfield Town side showed no signs of accepting defeat although their attempts at the Spurs goal were thwarted by the Spurs defence.  The home side managed to scramble the ball over the Spurs goal line in the 37^th minute from yet another corner kick to get a goal closer, but Ayse Mustafa scored in the fifteenth minute to put the score line at 6-2. 

Both sides kept battling for the remaining 15 minutes of the game in which Spurs Ladies missed the target a couple of times.  There has been a very positive attitude by all the players since they were unfortunate to go out in the semi-final of the League Cup.

RICARDO INNISS

Bushey Rangers 0      Garston Ladies  1    
Luton Town Belles  6     St Martins  2    
Queens Park Rangers  3     Denham United   2

Played at White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre

Spurs took a while to get going in this match, with Rosie Kmita going close with an effort after nine minutes, when she looked like she might be offside.  It took one more minute to open the scoring, when Taylor O'Leary played a super pass into the path of Whitney Tango, who hit a shot in just under the bar to make it 1-0.  Within four minutes, Renata Inniss added a second goal when Rosie laid a ball back to her to drill a great shot in past the keeper, who had little chance of stopping it.

After Whitney hit a shot just wide in the 17th minute, the play moved to the other end of the pitch and after the defence failed to clear the ball, a Denham player hit a fierce drive past Daisy O'Sullivan without a defender closing her down.

At 2-1, it would have been natural for the team to wobble a little, but within a minute, Renata produced a left wing cross to the far post, where Charlotte Dean timed her run to finish and restore the two goal buffer.  This gave the side confidence to go on to win in style, only thwarted by the Watford keeper, who made outstanding saves from Whitney and Taylor.  Molly Kmita was making the lost of the space down the left wing to move forward to support the attack.

With 27 minutes on the clock, Whitney fired in a low shot to the near post, which the keeper kept out well at the cost of a corner.  From that dead-ball situation, the ball dropped for Renata, who steadied herself and hit a Gerrard style shot into the net from 15 yards to put Tottenham 4-1 ahead.

With the half-time whistle imminent, Spurs pushed forward again and when Taylor's shot was blocked, Whitney seized on it to score Tottenham's fifth.

Some personnel changes at the half-time interval saw a re-arranged Spurs side, but they carried on in the same vein with the third generation artificial pitch suiting their passing game.  Three minutes into the half, Renata ran through to beat the keeper and make it 6-1 and was unlucky a minute later, after manufacturing her own volley to hit the ball a couple of feet wide of the goal.  A well-crafted goal brought number seven.  Nikki Hunnable strode down the right flank and crossed in low to Renata at the near post.  Showing great awareness, she stepped over the ball to allow the in-running Taylor to shoot home in the 41st minute.

Denham changed keepers and the replacement was busy as Renata hooked an Ayse Mustafa cross wide and then produced a fine save to deny Charlotte on the line.  With the defence tidying up any Denham threat, Katie Mills, Olivia Keown, Harley Keenlyside and Shianne St. Louis were able to use the ball and the space in front of them.  Shianne took over in the gloves shortly after this and Daisy O'Sullivan occupied a striking role, as Jayne Foster rung the tactical changes.

13 minutes remained when a low cross came to Nikki Hunnable on the edge of the area and she struck a high shot out of the goalie's reach for Tottenham's eighth goal.

The Denham keeper brought out a good save to deny Charlotte once more, by pushing her shot onto the post, but Rosie Kmita was alive to the loose ball and was on the spot to tap the bal in to make the score 9-1 and although Rosie brought out another goal-line save from the keeper and Ayse's shot flew inches in front of Daisy, the score stayed the same until the end.

A good work-out for the Spurs team ahead of the title decider against Luton next week saw Denham play their part and their spirit in keeping going until the end did them great credit.

Bedwell Rangers  2    Bushey Rangers  1    
Hatfield Legion Belles  1      Luton Town Belles  8    
Northwood   4     Garston Ladies  7    
St Martins  1     Queens Park Rangers  3    

What was to be the title decider took place at Stockwood Park on a good pitch under a cloudy sky and with rain falling. 

Spurs were without Georgia Bruce and Charlotte Dean, while Hannah Lyons cheered on her team hidden under a big umbrella. 

The playing conditions were the type the Spurs Ladies loathe.  However, they adapted themselves very well despite conceding a goal in the first five minutes.

Spurs were unlucky not to equalise in the 15^th minute when Renata Inniss headed the ball over the cross bar from a corner kick taken by Nikki Hunnable.  Spurs failed again when a shot from Ayse Mustafa went wide followed by another save by the Luton keeper when Whitney powered a chest high shot at her.  Renata latched onto the rebound, but the keeper dived to smother her shot.  The referee blew the whistle for halftime after 35minutes of play. 

A more determined Spurs in the second half was rewarded after two minutes of play when Nikki drove a low shot into the net from an attempted clearance from the Luton defence to equalise.  Luton had no answer to the positive play Spurs were producing and Ayse forged her team into a 2-1 lead three minutes later.  Luton had another chance in the next 10 minutes, but the ball was headed over the crossbar. 

Luton was then awarded a free kick outside the penalty area but Daisy O’Sullivan was there to save. 

Twenty minutes into the second half, Luton got their equaliser in a controversial manner, with Luton having players in seemingly offside positions.  With so much at stake, it was a blow to the Spurs side, who turned in one of their best performances of the season.  It was unfortunate that Spurs Ladies played their hearts out in testing conditions and were not to be rewarded for their efforts.  I am sure their manager Jayne is very proud of their performance and would have relished another game with QPR this season – but it wasn’t to be, leaving Rangers to take the trophy with Spurs sharing second place with Luton. 

WELL DONE GIRLS 

RICARDO INNISS

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RICARDO INNISS

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