For many teams, semi-final defeat doesn't just ruin a season: it can have even longer-lasting effects. The 7-1 World Cup annihilation by Germany prompted deep soul-searching in Brazil, while England's 1990 loss on penalties has prompted a generation or more to fear shootouts as if they featured not balls but bullets.
Luckily for Teddington Athletic, they had the quickest possible opportunity to overcome defeat in the Capital Cup semi-final, with an immediate trip to Crystal Palace in the Surrey semis. This wasn't the Palace 'Reds' team currently battling for the Premier Division title, but the 'Blues' team who have already all but won Division One, having won 13 of their last 15 games.
With Teddington's game being followed by Palace Reds' clash with Wimbledon, the excellent facilities at Hillside Primary in Orpington were to host both semi-finals in succession. The first visitors were without one of their most potent players, Sinead Morris pulling out on the Saturday after struggling to kick a lingering cold.
In came Amy Hallett, starting wide on the left but soon moving up front in a switch with the typically omnipresent Carla Novakovic. Also featuring in a classy midfield were Phoebe Head, Ella Dodd, Emily Coulson and Ella V, the latter also dropping into defence as necessary between Ella Parkinson-Mearns and the returning Saskia Brewster, with Ruby Rudkin earning a warm round of applause from her team-mates by agreeing to continue in goal.
The early action was all up the other end. In the first minute Teddington almost benefited from a freak own-goal, as Jelly's first long throw of the day was headed desperately backwards and landed on the net roof. From the corner, Emily's shot from the edge was spilled by the goalkeeper and Carla almost snaffled the rebound. She'd be back soon enough to benefit from a similar situation.
After three successive Teddington corners, Palace served notice of their intentions by breaking through (looking suspiciously offside, although to his credit, linesman Simon Day quickly sought and received clarification of the law on deflected passes). In the event, Parky's dogged attention restricted the attacker to a relatively weak shot that Ruby tipped around the post.
However, in the seventh minute the pattern repeated and Palace benefited. Emily sent Phoebe clear down the right – another move that would later bear fruit – but on this occasion the goalkeeper parried and no visitor was there for the rebound; instead, Palace's clearance bypassed most of the players and sent their centre-forward through on goal. Though Ruby came out with typical fearlessness to save on the edge of the area, the rebound was tucked in despite Saskia's despairing attempted block.
A goal down, Teddington refused to panic, although they did perhaps rush themselves a little more than they needed: twice – once from a Carla lay-off, once from an intercepted clearance – Doddsy found herself just outside the D with time to pick a spot, but opted instead for powerful shots wafted off-target.
Twelve minutes in, though, half the Teddington team combined for the equaliser. Receiving Jelly's quick short throw, Emily found Phoebe, whose devastating cross flew to the far post for Carla to bag her fourth goal of the season. The visitors were in the ascendant, with Jelly and Doddsy both carefully placing shots on target, and although Phoebe had to come off after being (accidentally) kneed in the groin, Sadie Day continued the good work out on the right.
Even so, Teddington's next two goals came down the left flank, and both involved the ever-impressive Saskia Brewster. Although a week's holiday had left her perhaps slightly less fluent in defence than she might have liked (while still dealing calmly with problems arising), Sas is developing into an increasing threat in the opponents' half – a trait encouraged by a management team with one eye on the 11-a-side possibilities next season.
Firstly, on 23 minutes, Sas's delightfully intelligent though-ball sent Amy scurrying toward Palace's area. Teddington's tiny terror up top, modelling a temporary gappy smile after knocking out most of a front tooth during her half-term holiday, was hassled all the way by a much bigger defender but stood her ground, got her body between ball and foe and won a free-kick a yard inside the bye-line and a yard outside the box. Emily stood over the ball, assessed her options and defied the tight angle to lash it in at the near post.
Just before the half-hour, Teddington stretched their lead in similar circumstance. With Jelly about to take a corner, Sas burst out of the back line to effect the quick one-two; Jelly's first shot was blocked but she sent the rebound fizzing past the bewildered goalkeeper.
The visitors reached half-time confident and in control, with Millie MacEacharn coming on to the left wing to replace Amy (Carla switching back up top). However, Palace emerged for the second period in determined mood and halved the deficit after five minutes, Ruby's brave block-tackle merely deflecting the ball to the big No.10 who slid home. Five minutes later, Palace again broke through – from a Teddington corner – and Ruby again came off her line to deny the No.10, but the equaliser was imminent.
It came from the penalty spot, Parky rightly penalised for taking the attacker's standing leg and the spot-kick despatched into Ruby's bottom-left corner. With the home supporters roaring on their team, how would Teddington react?
Recognising his squad's strength in depth, manager Dave W immediately made a triple substitution. Millie Theobald replaced Parky in defence, Ale Fairn replaced Carla up top, and Sadie made way out right for the recovered Phoebe.
Three minutes later, Teddington regained a lead they never again lost. Emily won the ball in midfield and supplied Doddsy, rampaging down the inside-right channel; her cross was deflected in by a defender desperately trying to stop it reaching the incoming trio of Ale, Millie Mac and Emily.
The Crystal Palace No.3 was a credit to her team, the finest left-back Teddington have faced all season, but substitutions had kept up the fitness levels and as Palace pressed, the visitors picked them off on the break.
On 56 minutes, Emily broke through to the corner of the area but her cross to the back post was a little too fizzed for Millie Mac, who could only help it off for a goal kick – from which Phoebe collected the ball and calmly finished into the far corner.
And in the dying minutes, Em sent Pheebs scampering clear to find the same corner again – her 10th of the campaign, making her the fourth Teddingtonian to reach double-figures.
And so, in only their second season, Teddington have reached a cup final. They will face Crystal Palace Reds, who out-manoeuvred Wimbledon in the other semi-final, witnessed by interested visitors from the TW postcode before completing the 85-mile round trip back from Kent to Middlesex.
The Surrey Cup final will feature two fine teams, and Teddington deserve to be considered among the best in the county. Exactly how good will be determined in their remaining eight league games, to be crammed in by early May, including visits to Teddington by all three teams above them in the league: Wimbledon, Palace (twice) and current Abbey Rangers, in the next two fixtures at Bushy Park. An evolving (and elongating) season continues to get more and more eventful.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Ruby Rudkin, Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Saskia Brewster, Ella V (1), Ella Dodd, Emily Coulson (1), Phoebe Head (2), Carla Novakovic (1), Amy Hallett. Subs: Millie Theobald, Millie MacEacharn, Sadie Day, Ale Fairn. +1og.
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