Two Andrea Edobor goals secured a win
over a valiant Hitchin Town Belles side in this HGFL encounter.
Spurs started brightly and were ahead
after just six minutes. Andrea was released down the left wing and
her run took her past the last defender. A speculative effort with
the outside of her left foot struck the angle of crossbar and post
before bouncing across goal and in off the other post, leaving the
keeper with no chance.
This sparked
a period of Spurs pressure during which Lucky Di Biasio came forward to
hit a fierce shot from outside the area that rocked the bar and a Chloe
Gunn 20 yard effort drew a good save from the keeper. It was just
before the half hour when Andrea doubled the lead with a shot from a
central position that went in just under the bar.
Hitchin
showed that they were not deterred by the score-line and with half time
approaching broke away on their left forcing Nicola Davey to make a save
at her near post.
Tottenham continued to pass the ball well
in the second half, but without the cutting edge that had found
earlier. Sian Osmond took over goalkeeping duties in the second
half and she pushed a Hitchin corner out of harm's way when danger
threatened, but she was well protected by her defence of Zoë Jackson,
Paige Barnard and Katie Goodland.
With
the five man midfield breaking up many of the Hitchin moves, they broke
with speed and Leasha Ngotho ran half the length of the pitch to take
the ball around the keeper, but was forced too wide to get a shot
in. The only other chance created in the second half came when
Chloe Gunn crossed and Lindsey Cockle headed the ball just wide of the
near post.
The experimental
formation saw Spurs control the game and provides them with tactical
options in forthcoming fixtures.
Tottenham Hotspur
: - [Rolling
subs used]
1
Nicola
Davey
8
Sian
Osmond
13
Katie
Goodland
5
Paige
Barnard
6
Zoë
Jackson (c)
2
Jodie
Fenn
4
Chloe
Gunn
3
Stephanie
Smith
14
Lucky
Di Biasio
12
Laila
El Haddad
9
Lindsey
Cockle
16
Rhiannon
Kelly
7
Andrea
Edobor
15
Leasha
Ngotho
11
Tessa
Osborne
Photos
from the game can be viewed by clicking here.
Spurs U13 travelled west to play the
Chelsea academy on Saturday. This was a big test for the girls and they
rose to it magnificently with a gutsy performance against a very good
team whose technical skills were above any this team had previously
encountered before.
The match consisted of three 25-minute 'halves' with Spurs using a
combination of 19 players including 3 'borrowed' from the U14s (Ricole
and Ryah Vyse and Leesa Shields).
The first phase saw Chelsea start with a high tempo and some tough
challenges were exchanged with Stephanie Smith injured early on.
Ricole was confident in goal and unfortunate to concede after she
managed to get a hand to a shot, only for the pace of the shot to ensure
it was steered into the net. Five minutes later Chelsea added a
second when a forward lost her marker for an easy header. Spurs
had Chelsea on the back foot on a couple of occasions, but some stout
defending by the home team ensured that Spurs did not score.
The second phase saw Spurs best spell of the game as they produced some
passionate football to counter the technical ability of Chelsea.
Chloe Gunn was the driving force, intercepting and creating and almost
scored when her free-kick went over the bar. Chances were few and
far between and forwards Andrea Edobor
and Leash Ngotho had to be patient for chances to arrive with Andrea
shooting from distance on a couple of occasions. Nicola Davey made
two notable saves to keep a clean sheet in the second phase and Spurs
debutant Vanessa Hassans made an encouraging start to her Spurs career.
The third phase saw Spurs with tired legs and Chelsea took advantage
with their greater fitness levels by rattling in five goals in this
period.
Many thanks to our hosts and we look forward to playing them again
soon. This was a good yardstick for us to see how far we have come
and in true academy style we know the score-line is irrelevant.
Well done to all the girls - a very good performance.
Spurs Ladies advanced to the knockout
stages of this competition with a 'grown up' display at Watford, coming
a day after their tough friendly game against Chelsea academy
U14s.
In truth Spurs were rarely troubled but with a heavy pitch they had to
bide their time and work hard at their game to ensure the victory.
The first half remained goalless and Spurs had to wait until 10 minutes
from time to get the breakthrough they deserved. It came after a
couple of opportunities were put narrowly wide by Andrea Edobor and
Rhiannon Kelly and the goalie saving well from Leasha Ngotho. It
was Rhiannon who became the provider of the first goal, skipping past
two defenders before squaring to Lindsey Cockle who new exactly where to
park it.
The second goal for Spurs was scored in the last minute when Chloe Gunn
took advantage of some tired defending and rounded two players before
unleashing a drive past the keeper.
The league leaders QPR were the visitors
today and Spurs came away with a narrow win in a game that was very
evenly contested.
The first half belonged to Spurs as they dictated the play and put away
two chances to leave them two-nil up at half time. The first was
from a long ball from Jodie Fenn played from inside the Spurs half and
into the path of Leasha Ngotho who knocked the ball forward before
releasing a ferocious shot that the goalkeeper could only palm into the
net.
The introduction of Lindsey Cockle brought another dimension to Spurs
play and she was able to tease the defence with her trickery before
being felled in the area for a penalty. Lindsey then kept her
nerve to beat the keeper from the spot as she placed the ball beyond the
keeper.
After the break, QPR stepped up a gear as Spurs defended deep with
goalkeeper Nicola Davey being called into action making numerous
saves. However, QPR did break through the defence to put them back
in the game and Spurs had to dig in and ride the storm.
QPR got another break when a ball from wide struck the arm of Andrea
Edobor and the visitors were awarded a penalty, but the luck was with
Spurs as the kick was blasted over the bar.
That incident woke Spurs up and they started creating again with Andrea
and Rhiannon Kelly causing problems and Chloe Gunn, Laila El Haddad and
Stephanie Smith driving the midfield. The defence marshalled by Zoë
Jackson and Paige Barnard played magnificently with Tessa Osborne, Jodie
Fenn and Katie Goodland playing their part in stalling the attacks
whilst Lucky di Biasio anchored the midfield.
Our visitors played their part in a very
exiting match and deserve credit.
Tottenham looked to
build on their great win against Queens Park Rangers when they played
their next league game away to Hitchin.
It was Spurs who
started the brighter of the two teams with Jodie Fenn fizzing a shot
just wide of the post in the opening minute. The next fifteen
minutes proved to be somewhat of a midfield battle with both teams
failing to find much space on the narrow pitch, but it was Hitchin who
opened the scoring against the run of play with the ball coming to an
unmarked Hitchin striker to finish in the seventeenth minute.
Tottenham responded
brightly to going a goal behind with a good spell of pressure.
Andrea Ebodor cracked a shot from well outside the area only to see the
ball come back off the post, before an inevitable Spurs equaliser
finally came on the twenty-second minute with Chloe Gunn hitting a shot
from the edge of the area and with a little help from the deflection off
of the Hitchin defender, she saw her shot wrong foot the keeper.
Spurs were wrong if they thought they had time to even celebrate the
goal, because within two minutes they found themselves a goal behind
again after some good work from a Hitchin striker and some sloppy Spurs
defending.
The next seven minutes
saw Spurs’ most dominant period of the game. Rhiannon Kelly made
one of her trademark runs with the ball into the opponents’ area and
slotted the ball past the keeper to equalise for Spurs again.
Chloe Gunn then took advantage of Hitchin’s inability to clear a corner
as she scrambled the ball over the goal line to make it 3-2 to Spurs and
just before half time, substitute Vanessa Hassans met a perfect Andrea
Ebodor corner to put Spurs 4-2 ahead.
Spurs could be accused
of being complacent going into the second half and certainly took their
foot off the pedal. They were punished seven minutes into the second
half as Hitchin broke down the right hand side to pull a goal back.
A somewhat stunned Spurs team saw their lead thrown away five minutes
later when Hitchin, resurgent after the break, equalised. And, as
if it couldn’t have got any worse for the gob-smacked Spurs team, they
found themselves 5-4 behind with only ten minutes left to play.
However with only five
minutes left on the clock the ball broke free on the edge of the Hitchin
penalty area and Stephanie Smith hit a low drive past the despairing
Hitchin keeper to rescue a point for Spurs. A game that many thought
Spurs would win easily saw them come away with only a point. A
lesson learnt for this young team.
DANIEL COCKLE
Tottenham Hotspur
: -
1
Nicola
Davey
2
Jodie
Fenn
6
Zoë
Jackson (c)
5
Paige
Barnard
11
Tessa
Osborne
4
Chloe
Gunn
3
Stephanie
Smith
14
Lucky
Di Biasio
15
Leasha
Ngotho
7
Andrea
Edobor
9
Lindsey
Cockle
16
Rhiannon
Kelly
12
Laila
El Haddad
3
Katie
Goodland
-
Vanessa Hassans
Rolling
subs used : -
Other
Results :
Cambridge City 3
Watford Ladies 0
Luton Town Belles 5 Harpenden 1
Spurs worked hard to shore up their
defence after conceding five goals last weekend and it was particularly
pleasing to emerge with a clean sheet at the end of this game. Our
opponents Luton relied on the speed of their forwards and the defensive
quartet of Laila El Haddad, Paige Barnard, Zoë Jackson and Lucky Di
Biasio had to keep their concentration in dealing with the lively front
two.
With Jodie Fenn anchoring the midfield, Chloe Gunn was released to join
Stephanie Smith in a more offensive midfield role with Tessa Osborne and
Katie Goodland providing the width.
Spurs started slowly and opportunities were few and far between with the
home team second to the ball on most occasions. Luton found more space
and threaded the ball to their forwards on a few occasions but Zoë
Jackson dealt efficiently by intercepting well. Goalkeeper Sian
Osmond was called into action just before the end of the first half
saving bravely at the feet of the Luton forward when they looked certain
to score and Chloe Gunn had a chance to put Spurs ahead before the break
but shot wide of the post whilst attempting to take her opportunity
quickly.
Spurs stepped up a gear in the second half with Andrea causing problems
on the left and Lindsey Cockle finding more space as the game
progressed. Vanessa Hassans replaced the injured Tessa Osborne and
did a good job in containing the threat down the right flank.
Lindsey Cockle found herself with the ball and the goalkeeper off her
line and took the decision to try the lob from distance. The
execution was good but unfortunately the direction took the ball past
the wrong side of the post. However soon afterwards Andrea Edobor
showed how much she is improving as a player as she created her own
space using her speed and scored with a textbook drive to the bottom
left of the goal giving the goalkeeper no chance to save.
This match turned out to be a relatively
one-sided game with Spurs firmly encamped in their own half under siege
from a wave of attacking movements from our visitors. The squad of
16 was reduced to 13 during the week but Spurs were able to draft in
Yasmin Hassan from the B team at late notice to increase the squad to
14.
Spurs had defended fairly well in the first phase and were relatively
unlucky to go 2-0 down but an injury to captain Zoë Jackson broke up the
defence at a key time and R&D took control of the game. Vanessa
Hassans was brought on to replace Zoë at the back and went on to have a
very strong game at the centre of defence.
The second phase brought Spurs best spell of the game but they were
dealt a slice of bad luck when they conceded a third when the defence
stopped running after the referee appeared to blow for a handball.
R & D took full advantage and scored. To make matters worse
Rhiannon Kelly was injured as she landed awkwardly whilst trying to keep
the ball in play and whilst she was receiving treatment on the touchline
Spurs were reduced to ten players and conceded a fourth.
Spurs tried to consolidate in defence with Yasmin doing a good job in
breaking up the opposition attacks and goalkeeper Nicola Davey very
impressive throughout making some crucial saves. However, fitness levels
told and R&D were able to add another three in the final phase of the
game.
Fresh from their defeat against Rushden and
Diamonds, the Spurs under-13 Whites team were looking to make amends and
it looked as though they were going to do just that as they started
brightly with some slick passing through the midfield. However, it
was evident that the Harpenden defence was not going to be broken down
easily, so it was the Spurs’ ability to be patient that was tested in
the opening half hour. And full credit has to be given to them as
they passed the ball about superbly and created numerous chances that
unfortunately came to no avail. The real hero of the first half
had to be goalkeeper Nicola Davey who on two consecutive occasions made
spectacular saves and kept the score line at 0-0.
Spurs’ patient build-up play finally paid
off on the half hour mark when the deadlock was broken. Some slick
one-two passing between fellow midfielders Jodie Fenn and Chloe Gunn
created space in the middle of the park and allowed Chloe time to look
up and slot a pass through to Leasha Ngotho, who beat the offside trap,
rounded the keeper and calmly passed the ball into the back of the net.
Two minutes later saw an almost identical
situation to the first goal, but this time it was Lindsey Cockle who was
set through with the ball. However, the Harpenden keeper made
herself big and produced a good save to stop Spurs scoring two goals in
two minutes.
Spurs would only have to wait five
minutes into the second half before they were rewarded with their second
goal of the game. This time it was Andrea Ebodor who was the
provider with some hard work down the left hand side, then crossing to
find Lindsey Cockle, who volleyed the ball through a crowd of players to
put Spurs 2-0 up.
Spurs managed to put the game beyond all
doubt with twenty minutes to go. Lindsey Cockle tricked her way
past two Harpenden defenders and was brought down on the edge of the
box. Despite complaints from the Spurs players that the wall
wasn’t ten yards back, Chloe Gunn lifted the ball over the wall and into
the top corner to put Spurs 3-0 up.
This game certainly proved that Spurs are
capable of playing fast flowing passing football and was a symbol of how
hard the girls have been working over the past few weeks.
DANIEL COCKLE
Tottenham Hotspur
: - [Rolling
subs used]
1
Nicola
Davey
2
Jodie
Fenn
5
Paige
Barnard (c)
11
Tessa
Osborne
4
Chloe
Gunn
3
Stephanie
Smith
14
Lucky
Di Biasio
7
Andrea
Edobor
9
Lindsey
Cockle
12
Laila
El Haddad
3
Katie
Goodland
15
Leasha
Ngotho
7
Andrea
Edobor
-
Vanessa Hassans
Other
Results :
-
For
more match reports from this season, click here.
