Sun 5 Oct: Fleet Town 0-2 Teddington Athletic

Fascinating division, the top flight of the Surrey County Women & Girls U13s League. As Teddington Athletic find their way around on their maiden top-flight voyage, they are encountering a variety of playing styles and attitudes. They're also clocking up the motorway miles – the last two trips have been to Kent (for Crystal Palace) and Hampshire, for Fleet Town.

Nestled in a sun-dappled valley, Fleet's Basingbourne Park ground was a pleasant place to play on what may be the last mild day before autumn arrives angrily. And it hosted a fascinating clash between two teams who won their divisions last year but are settling into the top tier very differently.

Fleet waltzed past Division One last term, collecting 50pts from a possible 54 in an unbeaten season, but they haven't yet displayed such good form at the higher level, with an opening draw against Croydon followed by successive losses to AFC Wimbledon and South Park. Teddington's six points from nine represents a stronger return but they are still very much learning as they go along, and they are facing some contrasting styles.

Whereas last week's loss at Palace was a game between two short-passing teams aiming to get the ball wide, Fleet utilise a more direct game predicated on picking out their tallest and fastest players. Their coaches' constant exhortations to "get rid of it", "hit [player X]" and "flick on" left no doubt as to their game-plan.

Teddington have some of the fastest players in the league, and plenty capable of giving it the big clonk forward. But building a school-age team around strength and speed is short-termism, elevating athleticism above skill to gain an advantage which is ever likely to be erased by the players' different rates of physical growth. That centre-forward who bullies her way through one season may find herself in the shortest in the league 18 months later, and if she can't pass the ball she's effectively finished.

Which is not to say that Fleet are one-dimensional or short-termist, but certainly Teddington are trying to build for a sustainable future, including at 11-a-side from next season. Hence the 16-girl squad, many of whom in today's matchday 13 aren't exactly giants.

But what the smaller players lack in stature they make up for in diligence and no little skill. Ale Fairn is towered over by most defenders, but her constant inventive runs make them long for a lower centre of gravity. Making her first appearance of the season after a foot problem, right-winger Amy Hallett worried the Fleet left-back throughout the first half. Tucked in alongside her, Sophie Wallman showed typical tenacity but also increasing intelligence in both tactical awareness and ball distribution.

At the back, Ella Parkinson-Mearns started alongside Saskia Brewster but Parky's niggling stomach injury meant Sas was soon reunited with regular partner Millie Theobald; Parky would return in the second half to solidify the midfield.

In between the two defenders, just behind the midfield, Ella Dodd again sacrificed her attacking ambitions to thwart the opposition – particularly important on this occasion given Fleet's reliance on height.

On the left, Millie MacEacharn filled in for absent top-scorer Sinead Morris with typical quiet determination, at one point surprising herself with a mid-air stepover before firing a dangerous ball along the six-yard line that Ale was desperately unlucky not to connect with.

Just inside Millie Mac was the indefatigable and increasingly impressive Carla Novakovic – one of Teddington's tiny terrors who show no fear against bigger foes.

During a hard-fought first half, Teddington held firm against Fleet attacks while also making ever more ominous in-roads into the home defence. At the break, Anna Kauffmann – who had started in midfield before withdrawing again due to that worrying breathing difficulty – happily donned her FC København goalkeeper jersey and replaced Ella V between the sticks.

Five minutes into the second half, Dave W made a quadruple substitution which displayed Teddington's strength in depth – and won them the match. Jelly came into defensive midfield, bolstering the back two and snuffing out any danger while allowing Doddsy to roam further forward. And while Parky added further midfield insurance, two new wingers in Sadie Day and Phoebe Head proceeded to run Fleet ragged.

When Teddington's wingers terrify full-backs, they're often relieved to get a foot in and nick it out for a throw-in... until they realise this means Jelly can launch that throw into the box, where Athletic will have several players capable of scoring from it.

And so it proved 11 minutes into the second period: Jelly's launch from the left, almost turned in at the near post by Phoebe, was partially cleared to Doddsy who calmly slotted it into the bottom-left corner for her third of the season – not bad at all considering that she has spent half of her three games this season being defensively diligent for the team's greater good.

Forced to throw more players forward, Fleet found themselves left open to lightning counter-attacks. While Sadie ranged down the right, Phoebe's left-wing station made it easier for her to cut in and shoot, and a minute after being denied by the goalkeeper she confidently side-footed home her 29th goal for the club.

From there on in, it was arguably only a question of how many. Fleet didn't fold, and forced a few corners, but over the course of the match neither Jelly nor Anna really had a save to make. Up the other end, Fleet's goalkeeper was much busier, denying Teddington's breakers on a number of occasions.  

Doddsy thoroughly enjoyed her newfound freedom to get forward, meeting Jelly's throw at the near post with a well-executed volley which the goalkeeper did well to push round the post. A few minutes later, Doddsy powered through the inside-right channel; noting the supporting runs from Phoebe and second-half centre-forward Carla, she chose exactly the right moment to lay the ball across – only for neither team-mate to quite make the desired connection.

In the end, Teddington scored just the two goals, but it was easily enough because they kept their first clean sheet of the season. It's a testament to their increasing organisation and teamwork, and it will certainly be needed next week when they go to champions AFC Wimbledon, who have won their three league games this season with a 17-1 goal difference.

Teddington face Wimbledon not as plucky cup underdogs but as hard-earned equals, with nine points apiece in the bag. True, Teddington lost at league leaders Palace, but not by much, and fully deserved the opposing manager's kind words that they "belong in this division".

The title favourites seem to be Wimbledon and Palace, but today the latter only just squeaked past fast-improving Abbey Rangers. Meanwhile last season's runners-up Croydon were beaten at home by last season's wooden-spooners South Park. It's shaping up to be a fascinating season in a very interesting league.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-3-3): Ella V; Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Saskia Brewster; Anna Kauffmann, Ella Dodd (1), Carla Novakovic; Amy Hallett, Ale Fairn, Millie MacEacharn. Subs: Millie Theobald, Sophie Wallman, Sadie Day, Phoebe Head (1).

Thanks again to David Theobald and Jan Kauffmann for the photos.