Post by trev on Sept 23, 2018 17:56:29 GMT
Ensconced in my armchair on a lazy Sunday afternoon, rendered comatose by the goalless draw playing itself out at West Ham’s atmosphere bereft corporate arena, I fancied seeing a bit of football.
Having been reared in the 70’s on a children’s TV mantra of “Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?” I decided to do just that, heading out into the chilly autumn afternoon to watch Sutton United Ladies play the third league match of their inaugural season in Division One of the Great London Women’s Football League.
It’s just one month to the day when I witnessed my first ever game of women’s football, when our ladies took on Clapham’s AFC Phoenix in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. We narrowly lost that game 2-1, and today we had the chance to get revenge of sorts against their reserve squad, who were promoted from the same division as us last season, as runners up.
Both sides headed into today’s encounter unbeaten, with the freshly promoted U’s really hitting the ground running with an impressive 4-2 victory against Luton Town’s Development Squad, followed by a hard-earned 3-3 draw versus Islington Borough Ladies.
This being my 2nd SUFC Ladies game, I was by now used to the turnstiles being closed, walking through the main entrance and making tentative enquiries at the general office as to whether there was a programme for today’s encounter. There was not, but fortunately I was armed with my programme from our FA cup game (thanks, Tony!) so at least I was able to make a passable stab at putting names to numbers this time around...
I headed through the tunnel to the sun peering through the clouds above Collingwood Road. An auspicious omen. Only around 16 spectators turned out for today’s game. We started off with a fairly conventional 4-4-2 formation, and our number 15, Shanae Newton, whose skills and trickery so impressed me during our narrow FA cup loss, had an early chance in the Phoenix box, only just being beaten to the ball by their keeper.
Seconds later, disaster struck, with Newton pulled up on our left flank with what looked like a hamstring injury. She hobbled off the field with the physio in tow, and did not return. I noticed she was uncomfortably reclined in the dugout for the remainder of the half so I can only hope it’s nothing serious.
Newton was replaced from the bench by our number 11 (Perez) who in comparison to the playmaking of Newton was largely off the pace and fairly anonymous for the remainder of the game.
Our number 19, Keisha Small, showed good battling spirit in midfield, winning our first corner of the game. The ensuing corner was well met by the towering presence of central defender Cindy Colliver (number 14), her header dipping just over the Phoenix crossbar.
Centre forward Faye Hayden (number 9) exhibited pace and agility throughout the first half, making plenty of darting runs off the ball into space.
Our right back number 22 (I don’t know her name but I think she’s a new player as I note from our FA Cup programme that our number 22 was recorded as “TBC”, they don’t call me Sherlock for nothing!) had some serious pace down the right flank and was full of energy throughout.
Around 21 minutes in Emma Green, our number 7, unleashed a hoofing lob which only just cleared the crossbar, dropping onto the top netting. I think the Phoenix keeper had already decided it was going over, but that shot had some serious drop on it, and wasn’t far off being our opener.
A couple of minutes later, Phoenix found themselves in space in our box for the first time in the game, but fortunately their number 14 blasted just over.
Shortly thereafter, Phoenix tried to break again but were undone by our offside trap, with a clearly well-drilled back four working in unison.
Our best moves of the first half came from our pacey full-back number 22, although she didn’t often get the chance to burst forward, instead astutely staying back to thwart any Phoenix attacks with her speed.
Keisha Small (number 19) won plenty of balls for us in central midfield, but around 28 minutes in our number 2 (Gabby Howell) was down with whispers of a pulled hamstring. Fortunately she was back up on her feet, but had to be subbed off later on in the game.
Phoenix kept calling for fouls on what were perfectly innocuous clashes of players competing fairly and honestly for 50/50 balls. The ref was having none of it though, patiently explaining on each occasion that nothing untoward had happened. Can we have this ref for our men’s games, please!
Our well-executed offside trap kept springing into action, repeatedly thwarting Phoenix’s attempts to counter, and around 33 minutes in, a great shot from our number 7, Emma Green, narrowly missed going in from a fingertip save just over the bar. Emma has a really powerful shot on her, and was our most potent player from range.
Shortly before the half we were really starting to take control, although we were unable to convert from a well won corner from Perez in the 37th minute.
Minutes later, a wild shot from Phoenix demonstrated their frustration at being unable to punish us on the break, and they looked increasingly ineffectual in attack.
Our number 22 was on the receiving end of a number of clumsy challenges, nothing malicious but they couldn’t handle her pace. She was a real handful. The ensuing free kick from the powerful boot of Green unfortunately was driven straight into the keeper’s waiting arms.
By this stage in proceedings Phoenix were playing increasingly deep, forced back by the relentless pressure of our freeflowing attacking play. Their number 15 pretty much operated as a lone forward. One of their rare first half attacks shortly before the half time whistle was flagged offside. The ensuing cries of protestation were met with another calm and genial explanation from the official that the player in question was a good three yards offside, to which the spectators on the touchline all heartily concurred. Why can’t our men’s team have refs like this!
Green continued to impress in midfield with her quality of distribution, and we unlucky to still be goalless at half time.
Phoenix came out early for the 2nd half, like 10 minutes early, clustered in the middle of the pitch whilst their manager publicly berated them for lacking intensity. Not quite on a par with Phil Brown’s infamous meltdown during his tenure with Hull City, but I’m a firm believer in some things being more appropriately handled behind closed doors. Plus, from a practical point of view, the chilly autumn breeze can’t have done much for the constitutions of his players.
Our ladies sensibly emerged from the warmth of the dressing room several minutes later, and the 2nd half got underway.
Deprived of the benefit of such luxuries as a scoreboard, pa system or a substitution board, I can’t be 100% sure but I think that our number 17, Amie Reader, came on at the start of the 2nd half, but I couldn’t for the life of me confirm who she replaced, for which I apologise.
We wasted no time carrying on from where we left off, and a great cross from our nameless number 22 (in spite of being blinder than a bat, in my defence, there was definitely no name on the back of her shirt) resulted in a corner.
Two fierce shots from our towering number 14, Cindy Colliver, were charged down, and she also earned a hearty smack in the chops for her endeavour. She went down in the box with a head injury and the ref wisely stopped play. The doughty Cindy soon recovered and was rapidly back on her feet running around like nothing had ever happened.
Soon after that, another fierce shot unleashed from the boot of Green went wide. And then a couple of minutes later, a bursting tandem run from Amie Reader (no. 17) and Faye Hayden (number 9) created the first 2 on 1 situation of the game. Reader took perfect advantage of the mismatch, sending a square ball from the right straight to the feet of Hayden, who stilled the ball with a deft first touch, and drilled it into the left corner past the helpless keeper. A well worked goal and a thoroughly deserved lead.
Just minutes later, Reader let rip with a blazing shot from the right, ricocheting off the crossbar, but the Phoenix keeper was able to recover the ensuing rebound.
It should have been 2-0, with Reader making a hugely positive impact in the second half, being the very epitome of an impact sub.
By now we really had the wind in our sails, our 4-4-2 having morphed into more of a 4-3-3, and why not, as our back four were more than equal to the challenges they had faced thus far.
It wasn’t until about 22 minutes into the 2nd half that Phoenix won their first corner of the game, which was easily cleared by our defence, resulting in a rapid counter-attack that was eventually flushed out in their penalty area.
Phoenix made an attempt to overload our left flank but we got wise to it from the outset, sending bodies over to neutralise the threat without incident.
Another shot wide left from Emma Green, who by now had probably had more shots on goal than every other player on the pitch put together. Three minutes later, another shot just wide from a free kick around 25 yards out, so close to a second goal! And then two minutes later, another driving 30 yard free kick from Green so nearly flicked in by Keisha Small, turned away by the keeper.
More chances fell to Amie Reader and Faye Hayden, the latter coming from a great cross in by Green, and a strong header just wide from our towering defender Colliver, and a minute later, Hayden just wide with a bicycle kick. By now, the Phoenix 18 yard box felt more like the Battle of the Little Bighorn, facing wave after wave of Sutton attacks.
With the energy levels upfront showing no signs of abating, our tireless number 22 finally started to show the strain and pulled up, having been up and down our right flank all afternoon. She went off to hearty applause. I didn’t see who came on for her, sorry.
A rare shot on target by Phoenix from a free kick was efficiently parried by our keeper Paige Hersey, who up until then had been given very little to do between the sticks.
Our left back, Emma King (number 27), who grew in confidence and stature the longer the game progressed, held the ball well at the corner flag eating up the clock, earning a throw-in deep into Phoenix territory. This resulted in a lethal shot from our other Emma (Green), with yet another sure-footed shot, which rebounded off the right post. If anyone deserved to net our second goal, it was her!
But it was not to be, the final whistle blew on a 1-0 victory, which is one of the most consummate and convincing 1-0 wins I have seen in a very long time.
I thoroughly enjoyed attending my first ever game of women’s league football, and it only remains for me to announce my woman of the match. Slightly controversially, I have to award it jointly to Amie Reader and Emma Green. The former made such a positive impact when she came on in the 2nd half, so many of our best attacking moves came through her, and she set up our goal perfectly for Faye Hayden. The latter had so many shots on goal that I lost count, and was so unlucky not to get our second, and perhaps even a third. If Green had found the accuracy to go with her power then she would’ve been absolutely lethal today.
So SUFC Ladies unbeaten after three games are starting to settle very nicely into this division, with a richly deserved clean sheet. Don’t know when I’ll get the chance to see them again this season but hopefully it will be soon...
Having been reared in the 70’s on a children’s TV mantra of “Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?” I decided to do just that, heading out into the chilly autumn afternoon to watch Sutton United Ladies play the third league match of their inaugural season in Division One of the Great London Women’s Football League.
It’s just one month to the day when I witnessed my first ever game of women’s football, when our ladies took on Clapham’s AFC Phoenix in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. We narrowly lost that game 2-1, and today we had the chance to get revenge of sorts against their reserve squad, who were promoted from the same division as us last season, as runners up.
Both sides headed into today’s encounter unbeaten, with the freshly promoted U’s really hitting the ground running with an impressive 4-2 victory against Luton Town’s Development Squad, followed by a hard-earned 3-3 draw versus Islington Borough Ladies.
This being my 2nd SUFC Ladies game, I was by now used to the turnstiles being closed, walking through the main entrance and making tentative enquiries at the general office as to whether there was a programme for today’s encounter. There was not, but fortunately I was armed with my programme from our FA cup game (thanks, Tony!) so at least I was able to make a passable stab at putting names to numbers this time around...
I headed through the tunnel to the sun peering through the clouds above Collingwood Road. An auspicious omen. Only around 16 spectators turned out for today’s game. We started off with a fairly conventional 4-4-2 formation, and our number 15, Shanae Newton, whose skills and trickery so impressed me during our narrow FA cup loss, had an early chance in the Phoenix box, only just being beaten to the ball by their keeper.
Seconds later, disaster struck, with Newton pulled up on our left flank with what looked like a hamstring injury. She hobbled off the field with the physio in tow, and did not return. I noticed she was uncomfortably reclined in the dugout for the remainder of the half so I can only hope it’s nothing serious.
Newton was replaced from the bench by our number 11 (Perez) who in comparison to the playmaking of Newton was largely off the pace and fairly anonymous for the remainder of the game.
Our number 19, Keisha Small, showed good battling spirit in midfield, winning our first corner of the game. The ensuing corner was well met by the towering presence of central defender Cindy Colliver (number 14), her header dipping just over the Phoenix crossbar.
Centre forward Faye Hayden (number 9) exhibited pace and agility throughout the first half, making plenty of darting runs off the ball into space.
Our right back number 22 (I don’t know her name but I think she’s a new player as I note from our FA Cup programme that our number 22 was recorded as “TBC”, they don’t call me Sherlock for nothing!) had some serious pace down the right flank and was full of energy throughout.
Around 21 minutes in Emma Green, our number 7, unleashed a hoofing lob which only just cleared the crossbar, dropping onto the top netting. I think the Phoenix keeper had already decided it was going over, but that shot had some serious drop on it, and wasn’t far off being our opener.
A couple of minutes later, Phoenix found themselves in space in our box for the first time in the game, but fortunately their number 14 blasted just over.
Shortly thereafter, Phoenix tried to break again but were undone by our offside trap, with a clearly well-drilled back four working in unison.
Our best moves of the first half came from our pacey full-back number 22, although she didn’t often get the chance to burst forward, instead astutely staying back to thwart any Phoenix attacks with her speed.
Keisha Small (number 19) won plenty of balls for us in central midfield, but around 28 minutes in our number 2 (Gabby Howell) was down with whispers of a pulled hamstring. Fortunately she was back up on her feet, but had to be subbed off later on in the game.
Phoenix kept calling for fouls on what were perfectly innocuous clashes of players competing fairly and honestly for 50/50 balls. The ref was having none of it though, patiently explaining on each occasion that nothing untoward had happened. Can we have this ref for our men’s games, please!
Our well-executed offside trap kept springing into action, repeatedly thwarting Phoenix’s attempts to counter, and around 33 minutes in, a great shot from our number 7, Emma Green, narrowly missed going in from a fingertip save just over the bar. Emma has a really powerful shot on her, and was our most potent player from range.
Shortly before the half we were really starting to take control, although we were unable to convert from a well won corner from Perez in the 37th minute.
Minutes later, a wild shot from Phoenix demonstrated their frustration at being unable to punish us on the break, and they looked increasingly ineffectual in attack.
Our number 22 was on the receiving end of a number of clumsy challenges, nothing malicious but they couldn’t handle her pace. She was a real handful. The ensuing free kick from the powerful boot of Green unfortunately was driven straight into the keeper’s waiting arms.
By this stage in proceedings Phoenix were playing increasingly deep, forced back by the relentless pressure of our freeflowing attacking play. Their number 15 pretty much operated as a lone forward. One of their rare first half attacks shortly before the half time whistle was flagged offside. The ensuing cries of protestation were met with another calm and genial explanation from the official that the player in question was a good three yards offside, to which the spectators on the touchline all heartily concurred. Why can’t our men’s team have refs like this!
Green continued to impress in midfield with her quality of distribution, and we unlucky to still be goalless at half time.
Phoenix came out early for the 2nd half, like 10 minutes early, clustered in the middle of the pitch whilst their manager publicly berated them for lacking intensity. Not quite on a par with Phil Brown’s infamous meltdown during his tenure with Hull City, but I’m a firm believer in some things being more appropriately handled behind closed doors. Plus, from a practical point of view, the chilly autumn breeze can’t have done much for the constitutions of his players.
Our ladies sensibly emerged from the warmth of the dressing room several minutes later, and the 2nd half got underway.
Deprived of the benefit of such luxuries as a scoreboard, pa system or a substitution board, I can’t be 100% sure but I think that our number 17, Amie Reader, came on at the start of the 2nd half, but I couldn’t for the life of me confirm who she replaced, for which I apologise.
We wasted no time carrying on from where we left off, and a great cross from our nameless number 22 (in spite of being blinder than a bat, in my defence, there was definitely no name on the back of her shirt) resulted in a corner.
Two fierce shots from our towering number 14, Cindy Colliver, were charged down, and she also earned a hearty smack in the chops for her endeavour. She went down in the box with a head injury and the ref wisely stopped play. The doughty Cindy soon recovered and was rapidly back on her feet running around like nothing had ever happened.
Soon after that, another fierce shot unleashed from the boot of Green went wide. And then a couple of minutes later, a bursting tandem run from Amie Reader (no. 17) and Faye Hayden (number 9) created the first 2 on 1 situation of the game. Reader took perfect advantage of the mismatch, sending a square ball from the right straight to the feet of Hayden, who stilled the ball with a deft first touch, and drilled it into the left corner past the helpless keeper. A well worked goal and a thoroughly deserved lead.
Just minutes later, Reader let rip with a blazing shot from the right, ricocheting off the crossbar, but the Phoenix keeper was able to recover the ensuing rebound.
It should have been 2-0, with Reader making a hugely positive impact in the second half, being the very epitome of an impact sub.
By now we really had the wind in our sails, our 4-4-2 having morphed into more of a 4-3-3, and why not, as our back four were more than equal to the challenges they had faced thus far.
It wasn’t until about 22 minutes into the 2nd half that Phoenix won their first corner of the game, which was easily cleared by our defence, resulting in a rapid counter-attack that was eventually flushed out in their penalty area.
Phoenix made an attempt to overload our left flank but we got wise to it from the outset, sending bodies over to neutralise the threat without incident.
Another shot wide left from Emma Green, who by now had probably had more shots on goal than every other player on the pitch put together. Three minutes later, another shot just wide from a free kick around 25 yards out, so close to a second goal! And then two minutes later, another driving 30 yard free kick from Green so nearly flicked in by Keisha Small, turned away by the keeper.
More chances fell to Amie Reader and Faye Hayden, the latter coming from a great cross in by Green, and a strong header just wide from our towering defender Colliver, and a minute later, Hayden just wide with a bicycle kick. By now, the Phoenix 18 yard box felt more like the Battle of the Little Bighorn, facing wave after wave of Sutton attacks.
With the energy levels upfront showing no signs of abating, our tireless number 22 finally started to show the strain and pulled up, having been up and down our right flank all afternoon. She went off to hearty applause. I didn’t see who came on for her, sorry.
A rare shot on target by Phoenix from a free kick was efficiently parried by our keeper Paige Hersey, who up until then had been given very little to do between the sticks.
Our left back, Emma King (number 27), who grew in confidence and stature the longer the game progressed, held the ball well at the corner flag eating up the clock, earning a throw-in deep into Phoenix territory. This resulted in a lethal shot from our other Emma (Green), with yet another sure-footed shot, which rebounded off the right post. If anyone deserved to net our second goal, it was her!
But it was not to be, the final whistle blew on a 1-0 victory, which is one of the most consummate and convincing 1-0 wins I have seen in a very long time.
I thoroughly enjoyed attending my first ever game of women’s league football, and it only remains for me to announce my woman of the match. Slightly controversially, I have to award it jointly to Amie Reader and Emma Green. The former made such a positive impact when she came on in the 2nd half, so many of our best attacking moves came through her, and she set up our goal perfectly for Faye Hayden. The latter had so many shots on goal that I lost count, and was so unlucky not to get our second, and perhaps even a third. If Green had found the accuracy to go with her power then she would’ve been absolutely lethal today.
So SUFC Ladies unbeaten after three games are starting to settle very nicely into this division, with a richly deserved clean sheet. Don’t know when I’ll get the chance to see them again this season but hopefully it will be soon...
