Quirky fact: Teddington haven't hosted the league leaders since last week. But back came Abbey Rangers for a second successive Bushy Park game, this time played in bright sunshine with very little of last week's vicious wind. Could the home side, with four games in hand on the top team, start to claw back the ten-point gap?
Since the 2-2 draw Teddington had lost some key players. Key defender Saskia Brewster was away playing netball. A leg problem ended striker Ale Fairn's run of five successive appearances – which had equalled her best of an injury-ravaged season. And poor old Ella V, only recently released into the outfield from her goal-shaped prison, turned her ankle while out jogging; she could be out for the rest of the season, although she's so typically desperate to return that she may defy the odds – if she doesn't rush herself.
With the backline depleted, Ella Dodd selflessy sacrificed her own attacking intent for the good of the team. Teddington's second-top scorer, Doddsy is a powerful presence capable of playing in a number of positions; here, she sat in deep midfield, protecting the back two of Ella Parkinson-Mearns and Millie Theobald. Carla Novakovic joined Emily Coulson in midfield; Ale was replaced up top by Amy Hallett, moving from the right wing, where Sadie Day came back into the starting lineup after some good showings from the substitutes bench – this week inhabited by Millie MacEacharn, Sophie Wallman and Phoebe Head.
The home side started in the usual style: feeding a winger and watching her fly. When Sinead Morris zipped up the left wing, she was adjudged to have dribbled the ball out of play but there was a notable call from the away contingent of "Watch Number 8 – she's super-dangerous". A minute later, after an Abbey ball across the six-yard line provoked the day's first "ooh", Sadie just about kept it in on the right touchline as Teddington typically stretched the game again.
And it was from the wing that the next chance arrived. Sinead again steamed forward, this time cutting inside the defender and into the box, where she collided with the goalkeeper – a malice-free incident, as adjudged by the referee letting play go on, but it could have gone either way. The excellent Abbey goalkeeper was hurt, but thankfully recovered.
A pattern was set: Abbey probing and getting corners, Teddington defending resolutely then counter-attacking rapidly. A couple of times, the home team defended flag-kicks a man light, the better to break – especially when Phoebe came on after 20 minutes to add yet more pace.
However, Abbey broke the deadlock with the sort of goal you don't mind losing to. Something like their seventh corner was pulled back to eight yards out, where it was met first-time, right-footed on the turn, crisply despatched home: a technically brilliant shot well-executed.
Teddington have their own technically excellent players. Crisply controlling a falling Abbey goal-kick – a theme to which she would return later – Emily calmly laid it right for Amy, who prodded on for Phoebe to cross: Emily almost nodded in, with Sinead also in the mix.
Abbey were far from dormant, pouncing on a weak goal-kick and firing it toward the top corner – but Ruby got two strong wrists behind it to turn it wide. A few moments later the leaders again shot from the edge but it cleared the bar, but Teddington were also threatening – notably when Phoebe’s clever diagonal between defenders was chased toward the D by a speeding Sinead, again foiled by that impressive goalkeeper and her diligent defenders.
Half-time brought a tactical tweak or two, along with one substitution: Sophie Wallman replaced Amy Hallett, stiffening up that midfield with an eye to giving Teddington better ball retention and Emily more creative freedom. On both counts, it worked. Within the first three minutes of the second period Sinead had fed Phoebe through the inside-right channel to cause a problem for the goalkeeper, then Phoebe had returned the favour to send Sinead through the inside-left channel.
Again, Abbey were far from pliant. Seven minutes after the break Ruby parried a strong shot, and though it was pushed down the middle, the defence stood strong and cleared the second wave of attacks. A few minutes later, another fierce shot into the side netting broke the goalframe. And even when the home side dominated possession for almost five minutes, Abbey counter-attacked and got a shot on target – but again, Ruby got both hands behind it, deflecting the shot onto the crossbar and away.
The importance of that save was undermined 20 minutes into the half when Teddington drew level with one of the finest goals your correspondent, not given to hyperbole, has seen in 30 years of match reporting. Emily Coulson has frequently shown superb technique at dealing with balls falling out of the air; on last summer’s Dutch tour, one calm trap produced a curious noise of pleased surprise from the spectators, and that first-half mid-air lay-off to Amy proved she hadn’t lost her touch.
On this occasion, with a clearance falling from the sky in the middle of the Abbey half, she allowed it to bounce – the better to send it arcing over the goalkeeper, 15 feet in the air, and snugly into the corner of the goal. Arms aloft, sheepish smile, Emily was engulfed by her team-mates and applauded by all.
That made her Teddington’s seventh different goalscorer against Abbey this season; shortly after, another emerged from the bench. Replacing Sophie, Millie Mac – who had notched on the opening day and has played a variety of roles since, from goalkeeper to full-back to midfielder – suddenly found herself running into the centre-forward position, laying off for Phoebe to cut outside but fire across goal and just wide of the far post.
Phoebe it was who completed the comeback with five minutes left – at the end of a wonderful team move. The goal came because Teddington again won the dropping ball, this time Carla beating a much bigger opponent to a goal kick; she laid it forward to Sinead, who played inside to Emily, who rolled it wide for Pheebs to finish – again firing across the goalkeeper toward the far post, but this time finding the corner.
Teddington held on for the five minutes, ceaselessly running for each other, subjugating their own attacking instincts into a cohesive team plan, working for a greater good. For a squad that started this calendar year accused of putting individuals first has turned back into a hard-working unit – one including several excellent individuals who would walk into any team in this league, but who don’t walk on Teddington duty.
The loss leaves Abbey looking nervously over their shoulders, two points clear of AFC Wimbledon, who have five games in hand. The Dons could have overtaken Rangers but lost 3-2 at South Park (their third defeat in five games), meaning that Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over Colne Valley puts the two big names – who face off at Orpington on March 29th – level on points and games played.
Slightly further back in fourth place, Teddington are quietly watching developments. Five points behind Palace and Wimbledon having played a game more, they would seem unlikely to overtake either – although they will have a major say in the title destination, by hosting the Dons (on April 19th) and Palace (twice on March 22nd).
With four games in hand on Abbey to eliminate the seven-point gap, Teddington need to keep working and keep winning. If they were to win each of their six remaining games – a tall order, but they set themselves high standards – they would be forcing Wimbledon to get 13 points from a possible 18 and Palace 13 from 15. Already a top-four team, Teddington will keep on pushing to see how high they can get.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Ruby Rudkin, Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Millie Theobald, Ella Dodd, Emily Coulson (1), Carla Novakovic, Sadie Day, Amy Hallett, Sinead Morris. Subs Sophie Wallman, Millie MacEacharn, Phoebe Head (1).
Great win girls and well deserved
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