And so to the final fixture before the festive break: Croydon. With Anna still out of contention, Ella V continued in goal behind a back three of Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Millie Theobald and Saskia Brewster; ahead of them, Ella Dodd and Emily Coulson were flanked by Phoebe Head and Sinead Morris, with Carla Novakovic up top after Ale Fairn made a brave but futile attempt to warm up through her heavy cold.
As is so often the case Teddington started the brighter, Sinead finding Emily but Emily finding the keeper's midriff. Then Parky dug in to win the ball and send Phoebe up the line for a cross Sinead volleyed just wide of the post. So far, so promising, but it doesn't take long for things to change in football.
Ever impressive in defence, Saskia Brewster was just starting to enjoy foraging forward with the extra insurance of a back three, when she went down after an innocuous, innocent challenge with a painful hip injury. Cue major reshuffle, with Carla switching to left-back, sub Sophie Wallman into midfield and Doddsy going up front.
With Teddington in flux, Croydon pushed on, knocking balls over the top. On one occasion their forward got onto the end of it, with the home back three appealing in vain for offside; luckily, Jelly stood up strong and saved well, but she was little more than a spectator just afterward when a lob narrowly cleared her crossbar.
Teddington came back into it, trading blows. Collecting a Croydon clearance in midfield, Doddsy sprayed wide to Phoebe who did brilliantly to keep it in before setting off on a searing diagonal run and placing a shot just wide of the far post – but a minute later, Croydon again broke through to force Jelly into another save.
Eleven minutes before half-time, though, Teddington made a chance count. Doddsy met Phoebe's cross at the near post and although her first effort didn't quite cut the mustard, she was stronger and quicker to the loose ball than the goalkeeper and put Athletic in front.
The lead was deserved on the balance of play but Croydon weren't crumbling, putting on the pressure with a couple of corners – although from the latter Sinead sprinted off on a run that took her to the edge of the visitors' area, shooting from slightly too far out and allowing the keeper to fumble it wide.
As the half entered time added on for Sas's injury, Teddington got a crucial second goal. Mopping up in the centre circle, Millie T won a ball it looked like she'd lost, allowing Doddsy to slip a super little vertical daisy-cutter for Emily to run through and fire home right-footed.
Five minutes after the break, Athletic seemed to sew it up with a third goal. Winning the ball on halfway, Emily carefully lobbed over the top for the onrushing Phoebe, and although the goalkeeper rushed out Pheebs gambled, held her nerve and held out a leg to steer the ball home. Game over?
Not a bit of it. Four minutes later, another Croydon through-ball caused confusion as Millie T ran back, Jelly ran out, the ball ran clear and the forward ran it in. Fortunate, but a minute later the visitors scored a goal of top quality, the ball over the top being pulled back and volleyed in for a worldy. With 26 minutes left, Teddington faced a test they could barely have imagined a few short minutes previously.
Pleasingly, they passed the test and the ball in an absorbing contest. After a Phoebe volley was well saved, Croydon hit the bar. And as the pressure grew, Teddington reorganised, retrenched and retrained themselves into positions they hadn't occupied in some time.
Having played most of her football this season on the wing, Millie MacEacharn was pressed back into service as left-back, and dug in with grit and determination. Sadie Day, too, has spent much of her time on the right wing but with numbers in short supply, found herself replacing the exhausted Sophie in central midfield. Doddsy dropped back into central defence – her third position of the game – with a Millie either side of her, Parky pushing on to stiffen the midfield with Sadie, while Sienad, Emily and Phoebe orchestrated the attacks.
Still the sides traded blows. Pouncing on a poor goal kick, Sinead fired a speculative volley just wide; then, as Croydon once more knuckled it through the middle, Millie T managed to get back and execute a brilliant tackle right on the edge of her area.
It was close – too close, considering the 3-0 lead a lifetime ago – but Teddington held on to celebrate their 14th win of 2014 (from 18 attempts), having scored 69 and conceded 25 in a calendar year full of marvels. What happens in 2015 remains to be seen but playing with this panache and pragmatism, Teddington will bag a few more yet.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ella V; Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Ella Dodd (1), Emily Coulson (1); Phoebe Head (1), Carla Novakovic, Sinead Morris. Subs Sophie Wallman, Millie MacEacharn, Sadie Day.
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