ENFIELD TOWN LADIES F.C.
SOUTH EAST COMBINATION
SUNDAY 5/09/2010
ENFIELD TOWN 3 EBBSFLEET UNITED 0
Enfield Town Ladies beat bottom of the table Ebbsfleet United 3-0 at home but the visitors made them fight all the way for the victory. A Katie Wilding penalty and Sheree Oliver gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break with Sara Sinclair adding the third. Enfield Manager John Abbott said “It wasn’t the prettiest of victories but 3 points are 3 points and although Ebbsfleet never looked like get anything from the game they still made us battle for everything.” Enfield climbed another place up the table to 4th.
Ebbsfleet United almost got off to a perfect start as in the first minute a cross into the box forced swift action from Jo Ayre as Kelly Philpott tried to reach it. Sheree Oliver threaded a pass through the Ebbsfleet defence into the run of Sara Sinclair who drew the keeper out before rolling the ball wide of the post. Enfield won a free kick out on the left and when Beth Demery floated it in to the area Beth Lovell was pushed in the back and Referee Michael O’Shea pointed to the spot to give them a penalty that Katie Wilding stepped up and confidently despatched into the net. 1-0 (6 min)
Sinclair hit a great looking cross that went over the head of one defender but Vicky Moore stretched and cleared it with Miranda Hall waiting for it. A smart pass by Hall in midfield sent Jo Spinks away on the right and when she drove in a low cross Wilding reached it first but was stretching and was unable to keep her shot down. Wilding went very close with a free kick that dipped enough over the defensive wall but was slightly off target. Wilding headed a Demery corner kick straight at the keeper from close range.
Claire Gooch was called into action as Lisa Fulgence bore down on Enfield’s goal but Gooch snapped in with a perfectly timed tackle in the area to concede a corner. Ebbsfleet had another great chance a short while later as Fulgence refused to give up and battled with a couple of defenders before escaping and then was unlucky to see her shot bounce off the top of the bar. Sheree Oliver received a pass wide on the left and went on a run towards the corner but just as she reached the edge of the area she cut back in and unleashed a fierce shot that flew over the keeper into the far top corner of the net. 2-0 (38 min)
A corner by Ebbsfleet was headed away by Gooch to the edge of the area where Vicky Moore volleyed it back just wide of the goal.
As they did in the first half Ebbsfleet flew at Enfield from the whistle to restart the game and Fulgence crossed for Claire Gibbons to fire narrowly wide from about twelve yards out. Ebbsfleet lost a player to injury just after they had made their final substitution and played the last 30 odd minutes with only 10 players.
Oliver and Spinks combined to get the ball to Wilding who controlled it as she turned and hit a shot that beat the keeper but not the post. Ebbsfleet were still having the occasional chance and Philpott curled a loose ball goalwards but Ayre was alert to field it comfortably. Hall drove for the line and crossed back towards the centre and although Sinclair got across the front of the keeper her shot went wide. Wilding won the ball close to the centre circle and slid it through the defensive line of Ebbsfleet into the path of Sinclair who touched it one side of the onrushing keeper and run around the other side to retrieve it and fire it into the empty net. 3-0 (72 min)
Ebbsfleet finally had a stroke of luck as a Sinclair cross looped of the head of a defender into the arms of her keeper. Substitute Olivia Mari followed the example of her team mates and slid a pass into the run a Sinclair but this time the keeper won the battle and beat Sinclair to it. Stavroulla Panayiotou won the ball and with it all opening up in front of her she went on a long solo run before shooting straight to the keeper.
Enfield Town M.O.M. was Katie Wilding who was involved in most of Enfield’s best attacking play.
Enfield Town Team; Ayre, Demery, Spinks, Herrett, Gooch ©, Eve (Panayiotou), Oliver, Lovell, Hall (Mari), Wilding, Sinclair. Unused Subs; McNeil, Marlborough, Turner.
Ebbsfleet United Team; Baker (Downes), Moore, Teague, Wells (Marsh), Gibbons, Pattenden, Blackie, Chambers, Fulgence, Bishop, Philpott.
Next Sunday Enfield Town take a break before returning to action with away games at 8th place Braintree Town Wednesday 15 September and 7th place Lewes Sunday 19th September. Enfield beat Lewes at home last week 4-2.
Enfield Town ladies reserves started their LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGIONAL WOMEN’S LEAGUE season with a 6-0 defeat away to Kent Magpies.
As a result of holiday’s injuries and illness, the reserves were forced to field a side of just 9 players in their opening match of the season at Kent Magpies home venue. The opening side of the season consisted of a new Goalkeeper, a make shift defence and diamond formation to cater for injuries to key players who were still up for the game. For the first 15 minutes the ferocity of attack was coming from Enfield with thrusting runs from both wide midfielders Halil and Taspinar. Backed up by telling
Interceptions from defence to set up counter attacks. Just before the half time break saw treatment to Captain Lynch who was already struggling with ankle injuries, forcing an alteration to a back 3, 2in the middle feeding the wide midfielders with illness stricken Evans up front as target player. Enfield were extremely unlucky to go in at half time 3-0 down as a result of three superb defence splitting passes by the Magpies leaving new keeper Dyer despite her best efforts unable to prevent the goals.
A half-time pep talk coupled with loads of fluids revived the spirit of Enfield and once again they took battle to the 11 players of Kent who were ably boosted by their two available substitutions. The offside line tightly played along with outstanding performances by the back three, in particular a triple block and followed up with setting up a great break for Enfield by Player of the Match Kirstie O’Mailley kept the Magpies at bay. Enfield were eventually undone when with tired legs two wicked deflections resulted in goals 4 and 5 followed by a contender for goal of the season by a Magpie midfielder who scored with an awesome fiercely hit dipping volley from 25 yards out that Keeper Dyer stood no chance of getting to. At the end of 90 minutes Enfield could be proud of the committed effort from all the players for the whole of the 90 minutes with them looking forward to the next match at home with players coming back from holiday, and four new players signing this weekend boosting the squad back up to full strength.
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