ENFIELD TOWN LADIES F.C.
RYMAN WOMEN’S CUP FINAL
WEDNESDAY 05/05/2010
EASTBOURNE TOWN 0 ENFIELD TOWN 1
Enfield Town retained the Ryman Women’s Cup with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Eastbourne Town. Sheree Oliver scored the only goal of the game early in the first half knocking in a loose ball. Enfield manager John Abbott said “It was a thrill to win the cup and even though we were a bit below strength our opponents still put up a great performance and made us fight all the way. It’s a wonderful way to end the season by capturing a trophy.” Enfield Town have now ended their season.
Enfield travelled to the home of Tonbridge Angels with a handful of first team regulars missing and called up players from the reserves including Katie D’Agostino who last played first team football about 5 seasons ago and this was her first game as a keeper. Enfield started well with Eastbourne looking a touch nervous and in the first minute Beth Lovell and Sara Sinclair had shots blocked in the area and then Sinclair crossed in from wide right but with the goal gapping Fran Boggi was unable to gather the ball in and the chance was cleared. Emma Thomas lofted a ball into the area but it bounced through to keeper Sarah Walshaw as Sinclair tried to reach it. Tasha Pearson had Eastbourne’s first shot as she was first to a loose ball but she shot wide. Boggi crossed in from the right and when the ball squirmed loose from Sheree Oliver and a defender it was Oliver who reacted quickest and stabbed the loose ball home from close range. 1-0 (11 min)
Thomas and Boggi exchanged passes as they raced through the opposition but Emma Parslow stuck out a foot and cleared the danger. Pearson raced down the slope chasing a ball over the top and as she steadied herself for a shot Candice McNeil got back to her and put the ball off for a corner. Melissa De La Fuente crossed from the left and Stavroulla Panayiotou was tackled as she controlled the ball in the area. Thomas and Sinclair had shots blocked, Thomas chipped over the defence for Sinclair who steered the ball wide and Thomas passed to Boggi who attacked the area but a last ditch tackle prevented a shot. Three Enfield defenders failed to clear properly and presented Lil Johnson with a chance but she shot straight to D’Agostino.
Thomas hit another diagonal cross that Sinclair shot back across goal and Boggi crossed to Oliver who controlled then shot wide. Johnson wriggled through the Enfield backline and shot early but D’Agostino spread herself and blocked the shot with her legs. Boggi played a wonderful pass through the Eastbourne defence into the path of Sinclair who somehow scooped the ball over the bar from close in. Ash Jenkinson went on a run and twice received the ball back from Enfield players before Beth Demery put her foot through the ball to clear it. Sinclair cut a pass back to Thomas who shot wide, Boggi tried to get away but Jo Templeman stretched and put the ball away for a corner. Stand in Captain Kerrie Marlborough hit a free kick into the area and Oliver headed it goalwards and Lovell tried to help it on but Walshaw just managed to reach over and tip it away.
Only being a goal down at half time gave Eastbourne a lift and they started the second half on the front foot and Jacey Samson who had looked good from the off raced on to a pass but went a fraction too wide before she could get in a shot which allowed D’Agostino to be perfectly positioned at the post to collect the ball. Thomas took a free kick to Oliver and when Oliver was closed down she returned the ball to Thomas who took the ball to about 25 yards from goal before unleashing a powerful shot that hit the bar and flew high up into the air and was cleared when it came down.
Samson again tried to escape the attentions of Enfield’s defence and this time it was Thomas who tracked her and forced her wide. Karema Abdalla took a free kick that went agonisingly across goal for Eastbourne with nobody able to get a touch. Samson chased a long ball over the top but D’Agostino beat her to it just outside the area and cleared it. Sampson had a shot blocked with Parslow hitting her follow up shot to D’Agostino.
Enfield had weathered the storm well and came back into it as Boggi crossed deep for Panayiotou who steered wide, A Lovell header from a Thomas free kick dropped to Walshaw, Oliver won a ball in midfield then drove on before shooting against a defender and winning a corner and then after a bit of a scramble in the area the ball fell to Boggi who fired back through the crowd but Walshaw pulled off a great save low to her left despite two Enfield players trying to divert the ball. Eastbourne had the last chance of the game when a cross was helped on to Tanya Roberts unopposed at the far post but she took a bit too long and allowed Semma Halil to get in a challenge and put the shot wide.
Enfield Town M.O.M. was Emma Thomas who kept the opposition defence busy dealing with her crosses and got back when needed to help her defence out but Katie D’Agostino deserves a special mention for doing a good job as stand in keeper.
Enfield Town Team; D’Agostino, Demery, De La Fuente (Hughes), Oliver, McNeil (Taspinar), Marlborough ©, Thomas, Lovell, Panayiotou (Halil), Boggi, Sinclair. Unused Sub; Gooch
Eastbourne Town Team; Walshaw, Chelsea Jenkinson, Templeman ©, O’Dwyer, Guy, Ash Jenkinson, Johnson, Parslow, Samsom, Pearson (Roberts), Abdalla. Unused Subs; Hall, Reader.
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