Tottenham Hotspur Ladies FC -

Under-15 match reports 2006-07

With six players missing through holidays or injury, Spurs were able to field only 11 players.  However, the team put in a battling performance throughout.

Alex North made a good debut, at centre-half alongside the ever reliable Leesa Shields.  Spurs had some good opportunities mainly from corners and free-kicks, which they must start to convert as a team to push for honours.  Ryah Vyse and Rebecca Hunneyball worked hard in midfield throughout and Alex Small was the most direct of our forwards with some excellent running in the third period of the game.  

An enjoyable game against a really sporting and decent club.
Let’s hope all the remaining games are played in the same spirit.  

Glenn Weaver

The Under 15’s got their season off to a good start with a 3-1 victory at Garston on Sunday. 

Spurs were ahead as early as the fourth minute when a Leesa Shields corner was diverted into the goal by a Garston defender.  Shikiera Richards-Lake, playing in an unaccustomed centre forward position, put Spurs 2-0 up with a well taken goal in the 11^th minute.  Spurs had a series of further close chances before a 35 yard free-kick from Leesa Shields dipped under the Garston bar with four minutes remaining in the first half. 

Garston came out fighting in the second half and had Spurs on the back foot for long periods.  The re-shuffled Spurs held out well up until eight minutes from time when Garston pulled a goal back when the ball was forced home from a corner. 

With no subs, the Spurs team battled well in the heat and deserve full credit.  As always, Garston played the game in the right spirit and were a credit to their club.

GLENN WEAVER

Barking Ladies  2     Bedwell Rangers  6    
Denham United  1    Luton Town  5    
Harvesters  1     Enfield Town Ladies  8 
Watford Ladies  7    Princes Park  1    

Despite being 1-0 up at the break, the Under 15s slipped to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Harvesters in the HCGFL on Sunday. 

Spurs took the lead after 11 minutes when Bethany Hunter-Scott latched onto a good through ball from Alex Small.  Tottenham continued to have the majority of possession without making any real clear cut opportunities.   

Spurs sat back on the lead in the early stages of the second half and were suitably punished with two goals in a five minute spell mid-way through the half.  Whilst pressing for a late equalizer, Spurs were caught on the break to a goal with a hint of offside about it.  

GLENN WEAVER

Watford took the lead as early as the sixth minute when Spurs failed to clear their line from a low cross from the Watford right.  Watford continued to apply most of the pressure with Spurs rarely breaking out of their half.  However, the Spurs defence held strong to go into the break 1-0 down. 

Spurs started the second half more brightly and started to place the Watford defence under more pressure. But, in the 60^th minute, Watford broke quickly and went 2-0 up.  Spurs then kicked into gear and took the game to Watford again in the closing stages to their credit, but could not force a goal.  

The match was a tough, physical but fair encounter, well refereed as always by Mr. Lang. 

This Watford team could be the team to watch this season !    

GLENN WEAVER

Tottenham came back into the game towards the end of the first half and could have pulled one back from a Alex North strike, but this was ruled out as Spurs had been adjudged to have taken the free-kick too quickly. 

Spurs gave their all in the second half, but a further two Enfield goals saw them slip to a miserable 6-0 defeat.

GLENN WEAVER

Alex Small lead the way with a well taken hat-trick with further goals from Beth Brown-Hunter-Scott, Stavroulla Panayiotou and a free-kick from Leesa Shields, which bent straight into the net fooling the Denham defence.

GLENN WEAVER

Spurs started brightly and played some neat attractive football in the early stages, but it was Bedwell who took the  lead in the 20^th minute when a cross from their right had side was powerfully headed home by their centre forward.  Spurs went 2-0 behind on the 30^th minute when poor marking allowed Bedwell in again.  A goal direct from a corner from Leesa Shields in the closing stages of the first half reduced the arrears to a single goal. 

The quality of the football in the second half dropped a notch with limited opportunities at both ends.  With just minutes left, Semma Halil was brought down in the box and captain Ryah Vyse banged home the penalty. 

Still some work to do, but the team are improving week by week, although they miss the spirit and drive of the injured Hoshi Cooper-Hutchinson and we all look forward to her return.     

GLENN WEAVER

Barking Ladies  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -    
Denham United  -   
Harvesters  -    
Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Watford Ladies  -    
Princes Park  -    
Garston Purples  -    
Luton Town  -    

After the game against Bedwell two weeks ago, expectations were high that the Under 15’s would give Luton Town Belles a tough time in this HCGFL fixture.  

Despite a couple of snatched chances in the early stages, Spurs were always second best throughout and eventually tumbled to a 5-0 defeat.  

Having played all the top five sides in the opening seven league fixtures, it’s hoped that the Under 15s fortunes will start to change.

GLENN WEAVER

Barking Ladies  -     Harvesters  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -     Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Denham United  -    Princes Park  -    
Garston Purples  -     Watford Ladies  -    

Match postponed, as Princes Park could not field a team.

Barking Ladies  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -    
Denham United  -   
Harvesters  -    
Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Watford Ladies  -    
Princes Park  -    
Garston Purples  -    
Luton Town  -    

Alex Small, playing against her old club, put Spurs 1-0 ahead as early as the third minute after some excellent build up play from the Spurs side.  Tottenham had much of the possession in the first half with little to show, but always needed to be on their toes for Barking counter attacks. 

Ten minutes in the second half, Barking equalized after a speculative long ball caught the Spurs defence cold. 

Opportunities continued to fall to both sides and the woodwork was hit at both ends, but with nine minutes to go Rebecca Hunneyball went on a mazy run through the centre of the Barking defence before coolly slotting home past the Barking keeper.  With just minutes remaining, Bethany Hunter managed to latch onto a loose ball in the Barking area to make the final score 3-1.

GLENN WEAVER

Barking Ladies  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -    
Denham United  -   
Harvesters  -    
Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Watford Ladies  -    
Princes Park  -    
Garston Purples  -    
Luton Town  -    

Sloppy defending in the early stages by Spurs saw Garston take the lead as early as the fourth minute.  Spurs then missed a number of good opportunities and only good goalkeeping by Ricole Vyse kept the deficit down to a single goal. It took a mazy run from Charlie Newson-Archer through the Garston defence to draw Spurs level in the 35th minute. 

Spurs looked brighter in the second half and eventually took the lead when Stavroulla Panayiotou finished strongly after catching the Garston defence square.  Sophie Petros, put Spurs 3-1 up when she swivelled and lashed a drive passed the Garston goalkeeping with seven minutes left. Three further goals then occurred in the remaining time – two from Spurs through Shikiera Richards-Lake and Bethany Hunter-Scott and one from the penalty spot from Garston. 

This was a good game played in a good spirit, as are all the games with our friends from Garston.

GLENN WEAVER

Barking Ladies  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -    
Denham United  -   
Harvesters  -    
Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Watford Ladies  -    
Princes Park  -    
Luton Town  -    

Barking Ladies  -    
Bedwell Rangers  -    
Denham United  -   
Harvesters  -    
Enfield Town Ladies  - 
Watford Ladies  -    
Princes Park  -    
Garston Purples  -    
Luton Town  -