Now in their fourth season, the Teddington girls have had their own changes over summer. Snapped up by Millwall and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, key players Phoebe and Ella Waldron are no longer available to play for the team they helped to found, but the squad is now graced by two new players and a new coach, Dale Bond.
A former semi-pro player, Bondy has been coaching in women’s and girls’ football for several years. Getting to know some of the Teddington girls at the London Youth Games, he was invited aboard by manager Dave Waldron and has immediately been welcomed by the girls, for his boundless enthusiasm and his innovative training routines. (More on Bondy here, in an introductory note from the man himself.)
One of Bondy’s innovations is a clearly delineated matchday timetable, which encourages the girls to get to the match early enough to get their social interactions done before a KO-minus-45-minutes “down to business” deadline; although not everybody quite got the memo, there was a notable focus about several players, with Ella Bothamley particularly switched-on.
The girls were also being shaped into a new formation, one which has been designed to get more of Teddington’s dangerous players working further forward. As the girls have progressed through divisions, formats and formations, certain players have willingly sacrificed some of their attacking intent for the greater good of the team shape; but with two of the team’s top three all-time goalscorers now having left – 52-goal Phoebe following 42-goal Sinead Morris in exiting via the wings – the pack has been shuffled to give greater creative licence to get some of the great players still in the squad into the areas where they can hurt the opposition.
That said, there is much pleasing familiarity. Inventive in triangles, the team still passes the ball along the floor. They had the game’s first half-chance within two minutes when new captain Carla Novakovic, collecting the ball in midfield, had the maturity and confidence to look up and measure a diagonal ball between defenders for her friend Ella Dodd to run off the shoulder of the last defender and force the goalkeeper into a hurried clearance which struck Doddsy but bounced harmlessly behind for a goal-kick. It wouldn’t be the last action to draw sighs of relief from the home fans.
Having bagged 14 goals in her debut campaign, Doddsy frequently played in midfield or defence last term – and while her excellence there means she will no doubt be selected in various positions this season, she can also push Ale Fairn hard for the front-running role. Certainly judging by her performance at Abbey, Doddsy will be too much of a handful for several defences – while the wise positioning and striker’s instinct of Ale offers the opposition a different kind of problem.
Doddsy almost broke the deadlock from a corner in the 13th minute but her right-foot shot was hacked off the line; collecting the clearance and remembering the drills from Friday’s training session, Emily Coulson turned her marker and fired in a shot which the goalkeeper just about parried. Emily is another who sacrificed her attacking ability for the good of the team last term: having gobbled up 40 goals in her first two seasons, she played deeper in 2015/16, but the formation rejig should give her more scope to drive on and punish the opposition. At Abbey, she was playing in a new role but grew strongly into it and will doubtless be bothering the scoresheet again this season.
Six minutes later Doddsy gave the travelling fans a close-up view of her power and finesse. Hammering down the right wing, full of strength and vigour with chalk on her boots, she beat two defenders before finding Emily whose shot forced a corner.
Sadly, a minute later, Teddington conceded against the run of play. Without really threatening a determined Teddington back line, Abbey had been focusing on playing via their left wing, and it was from that side that the goal originated – although blame cannot be attached to the overworked Anna Kauffmann: Abbey’s cross met runners who got their before their visiting markers, and despite Ruby Rudkin’s best attempts the cross was tucked in at the far post.
Goal notwithstanding, Anna – or “Coffee”, into which her surname has been twisted to avoid on-pitch confusion with new girl Hannah Hutchison – was having a good game. Part of the new tactical plan is to get the full-backs far more involved in the creative arts, and despite growing into an excellent right-back, the Danish girl has always had more attacking ability than your average No.2. But with Abbey focusing on their left wing, that simply left more leeway for Saskia Brewster, on the other side, to roam forward.
One of Teddington’s mainstays from the off, Sas has also long displayed a fuller skillset than that required by a stay-at-home full-back. After an excellent summer of diligent training, she is fitter than ever; coupled with constant coaching encouragement, that fitness and the new formation allows her to gallop forward and join in with the attacks, creating overloads for Teddington and problems for Abbey.
At around the 20-minute mark, Sas began to impose herself in midfield, and Teddington enjoyed having another safe pair of feet to pass through. When Sas recycled a throw to Liz Kriebel, the American girl had the patience to look up and the ability to pick out a long diag to Boz, whose parried shot was almost snaffled by Doddsy on the rebound.
Soon after, Sas went on the overlap again, and by now had developed the (fully justified) confidence to take the cross on herself, although Boz couldn’t quite reach it.
Just before the half-hour mark, a triple Teddington switch brought on Emily Bashford, Ale Fairn and Millie MacEacharn for Boz, Doddsy and Emily Coulson respectively. All three had played increasingly well but were given a long half-time break to recharge before coming back on.
The sheer pace of Bash gave Teddington another option, and Abbey another problem. A great angled ball from Liz – another girl increasingly getting to grips with a new position, in her case as a deeper-lying midfielder; she has the creative ability for the role, and is a willing learner keen to improve her defensive positioning – sent the winger on her way. Outstripping one defender for pace and bothering another with her fearless physicality, Bash couldn’t quite add the finish but had served notice and set Abbey on the back foot.
Not that the hosts were without threat, but Teddington looked comfortably the better team. When Abbey managed to send a ball over the top, Coffee raced back with the striker, put her foot on the ball, turned and played it calmly along the grass to start a new attack. And when the Abbey No.41 did get a rare sight of goal and sent one scudding inwards, Ruby was equal to it – despite her pre-match complaints that her top was too tight (“I’ve grown during summer”).
As the 40-minute half wore to a close, Carla was bright red and asking for water but still channeled back with her foe to foil an Abbey attack, put her foot on the ball, calmly turn inside and lay a pass off. The captain was leading by example, one of several Teddington players showing excellent technique, but as the half ended they realised they needed to up the shot-count.
Teddington started the second period stronger, with Bash again stretching Abbey down their left. The hosts hit back with another long ball but again Anna raced back to regain possession and start another attack. And she wasn’t the only full-back creatively involved: by now Sas was becoming a regular in the Abbey area, and when a left-wing corner landed at her feet she sensibly reset for a Carla 20-yarder to sting the goalkeeper’s hands.
Then Bash seared through again but ran out of pitch, before Teddington somewhat overplayed from an attacking throw-in, being caught on the break and thankful to Ruby for forcing a shot wide.
In general, though, the defence was strong. A large part of this is the eternal reliability of Millie Theobald, starting her fourth season at centre-back, marshalling her defence with superb reading of the game.
Millie T was buckling up with a new partner, Hannah. After an unhappy spell at AFC Wimbledon, the friendly Hannah – or “Hutch” as she has been nicknamed, the latest retitling due to clashes with soundalike teammates – has quickly settled in among her new team-mates and rediscovered her love of the game…which is the whole point.
Such a solid centre-back pairing, coupled with diligent cover from Liz and Carla, allowed Teddington to spend the majority of the match on the front foot. They had five chances in the 55th minute alone. First a dangerous cross in from the right was hurriedly cleared behind a fraction before Ale, trying to bend her runs, could turn ball into the goal.
Liz’s resultant corner was headed off the line by an Abbey defender under her own crossbar, and from that flag-kick Teddington could have scored three times – Sas having the clearest sight of goal, her full-blooded 12-yard right-footer somehow blocked and wellied out of danger. From that clearance Abbey mounted a counter-attack but Teddington sprung back and covered superbly, captain Carla again leading her troops back to do the unglamorous covering work.
Just after the hour, Teddington reversed their triple substitution and reverted to the starting lineup. That meant Doddsy, Em and Boz were all back in business, and within a minute the latter’s searching corner caused all sorts of mayhem in the box - but again the visitors couldn't quite capitalise.
The refreshed front three immediately knitted back in with Teddington’s other new girl. Off the pitch, Giulia Clini isn't the loudest voice - but on it, she has the ability to frighten defences. Certainly Abbey quickly recognised the danger she poses, abandoning their early three centre-back formation to detail a man-marker on to Giulia.
It didn't really stop her. Ghosting between attack and midfield, Giulia exemplified Teddington’s intention to pass and move, linking team-mates and searching for openings. In the 67th minute she made herself the pivot of a one-two with Liz, the American driving on and firing in a 20-trader that the goalkeeper was happy to shovel wide. Again Boz’s corner hit the danger zone but Liz’s header was more upward than goalward.
Another to grow into her role, Giulia was involved again soon afterward, at the heart of a flowing move across the pith. Gathering the ball from the inside-left position, she had the confidence and ability to look around and pick out a pass to Boz; she took it on a couple of strides and curled a ball into the path of Doddsy, who lifted her shot just past the under-fire goalkeeper.
Although still probing in attack, Teddington were starting to find the recovery runs harder, and in the 73rd minute allowed Abbey to flash a shot across goal. Now operating with a size-5 ball on a big pitch for 80 minutes, and with only three subs, the girls had been strongly advised to keep their fitness topped up; as the game wore on, those who had put in the miles over summer felt the benefit.
With three minutes to go Liz was still scampering around, sending Boz down the right for a cross which just evaded Doddsy and Em. Then Doddsy’s pressure forced yet another corner, just about saved at the near post following a scramble.
The final word so nearly went to indefatigable captain Carla. In time added on she fizzed in at least her third on-target 20-harder of the game, and this time the goalkeeper fumbled - but the ball trickled agonisingly wide for a corner from which one home parent, who had been advising his daughter to “run down the clock” with 15 minutes to go, claimed offside despite the defenders on the goal-line. Takes all sorts.
In the end, Teddington can count themselves very unlucky indeed to have lost this game. They had more possession and better chances; just as importantly, they played some very promising football. They have some lessons to learn and some fitness to gain, and the 2016/17 season has a long way to go, but if they carry on like this they won't go far wrong.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Hannah Hutchison, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Liz Kreibel, Carla Novakovic, Ella Bothamley, Giulia Clini, Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd. Subs: Ale Fairn, Emily Bashford, Millie MacEacharn. Thanks to David T for the photos.
First week's results: Wimbledon saw off Maidenhead 4-2 while newly-promoted Carshalton, Teddington's next opponents, lost by the same scoreline at home to Fleet. The other promoted side, Hampton, won by default due to the absence of Crystal Palace – the "Blues" from last season, not the title-winning Reds, who have left the league. Teddington's fixtures through to the second Sunday of half-term are now on the blog's fixture list.
A word from Bondy
I’m proud and frustrated after Sunday’s game. Proud of the performance from all 14 players. Fitness did show in the end – we hope the girls will take note of how importance fitness is to their performance.I must stress that the effort, work-rate and the miles the girls must have covered on a very hot afternoon, a big pitch for 80 minutes, was very impressive. When the girls get fitter then the game will become easier.
We kept to our game plan even when we went a goal behind – passing the ball, movement off the ball, creating space going forward and creating chances. The three changes we made before halftime kept up the tempo and made an impact; same from the changes during the second half.
We have a lot of talent and ability, 16 players who can make an impact regardless if they start or from the bench we do have depth in the squad.
I will never ask the girls to promise me a win or promise me a goal or two. What I do ask, and what I expected, is an honest performance – and Sunday’s was a proud display. We didn't win the game but we played hard and we kept going.
The better team lost on Sunday:
What left me so frustrated was we were the better team and our performance was brilliant; even a point I don't think justified our performance. What is evident is that we have depth in the squad and we can reach even higher levels; Sunday was a good performance, but we can and we will perform at a level above.
Work In Progress:
For us it's a work in progress: new players, new coach and new formation. You can see already the girls are working hard and have very quickly learned a lot of the new formation; some are in new positions and new players have fitted in nicely with the new training structure.
We regroup on Friday night training. Welcome Carshalton Athletic. Carshalton lost on Sunday and will be looking to get points on the board just like us. No game is ever easy until the game is won. We will go into Sunday’s game full of confidence and energy. PMA POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE.
Your Support:
Parents and families: thank you for your support on Sunday; looking forward to hearing you in loud voice. Your support means a lot not just for this season but seasons gone by. All the years, in whatever weather, you have travelled to make sure the girls get to training and matches. I'm passionate about the female game so appreciate everything you do for the girls, the team and the club.
Bondy
Great report as ever - many thanks and here's to a successful season!
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