Coming into this match, AFC Wimbledon had won all six league games, scoring 37 and conceding six – of which only two were in the last four games, both in the home 5-2 win over TA.
Looking over the longer term, the Dons have long been Teddington’s bête noire. In the first season, they arrived at Bushy Park in the Surrey Cup semi-final and won 6-2, the nascent U12 team’s first-ever defeat. Upon Teddington’s elevation to the top division, they were beaten 3-2, 3-1 and 1-0 by the league champions; last season, the Dons won 5-0, 3-1 and 3-2, with a 2-1 cup victory thrown in for good measure. Add in last month’s 5-2 home win for Wimbledon and their record against Teddington is played 9, won 9, scored 31, conceded 11. No wonder they looked confident.
For their part, Teddington’s girls seemed not terrified but focused. This squad’s warm-ups usually serve as a good indicator of how the match will play out, and the home side were neither nervous nor arrogant as they went through their drills. It was the calm after the storm.
And another squall was coming for the good ship Wimbledon. Teddington were immediately onto the front foot, with one girl in particular keen to make an impression. When Ella Bothamley joined Teddington from AFC Wimbledon in summer 2015, she was in danger of falling out of love with football – but she has rediscovered her sense of fun, balanced that with a renewed focus… and blossomed into a diligently dangerous player.
In last month’s loss at Wimbledon Boz had terrorised the left-back and she was immediately back at it, an integral part in a sweeping team move within the first 90 seconds. Teddington took a goal-kick short to Carla Novakovic in the left-back position, switching the ball through central midfield, the home side worked it out to Boz on the right, who beat her marker before crossing for the rapidly arriving Ella Dodd to flick just wide of the near post. Soon after, sent through by a clever through-ball from Giulia Clini, Boz again beat her left-back and hit the byline but her pulled-back cross went begging.
Boz was the only change to the previous starting XI in the promising performance against Abbey Rangers; with options ever-available both from the bench and from the adaptability of the players, this Teddington squad is starting to settle into its new formation. There are wrinkles to be ironed out – Carla and her central sidekick Liz Kriebel had to be reminded not to simultaneously stray too far from base – but the players are beginning to understand and enjoy their organised potency.
A great example was the opening goal, bang on the quarter-hour. Doddsy showed strength, technique and awareness to control a clearance on the centre-spot and lay back for Giulia. Her little diagonal sent Emily Coulson down the left, and the resultant cross came to Boz at the far post; her on-target shot took a slight deflection into the bottom corner, and Teddington’s fluid front four had combined to put them ahead against the league leaders.
That was Boz’s third goal in five appearances this season, including two as sub. She hadn’t scored in her five previous appearances against her former club but is increasingly reliable against any opposition: her 12 goals in 25 games have come in 10 different matches against eight different teams, now including Wimbledon, Crystal Palace (Reds and Blues), Maidenhead and Fleet. Given the right attitude, Boz can score against anyone.
And the right attitude was being displayed across the park. Another member of the Dons diaspora, Boz’s fellow emigré Hannah Hutchison never lacks for determination but she was especially dogged against the old badge. Her physical bravery and mental edge set the tone for a solid defensive performance, with her centre-back partner Millie Theobald mixing awareness and athleticism, while full-backs Saskia Brewster and Anna Kauffmann also dug in to protect the lead.
It wasn’t just the defenders, either. Even before Teddington went in front, Emily had sprinted back to throw herself in the way of a left-wing cross, getting bundled over in the process but making sure that the goal didn’t happen – at that end.
Indeed as all the midfielders helped out, the only possible danger was that they would drop behind Teddington’s excellently-marshalled offside line. The trap was sprung in the 22nd minute: Ruby Rudkin hared off her line and although the tricky No.9 got to the bouncing ball first 12 yards out, Ruby’s presence forced her wide and her shot from a rapidly narrowing angle hit the post.
A minute later, it was the woodwork at the other end being rattled when Giulia fed Boz to toast her left-back and lash against the bar. That was enough for Wimbledon to send on their biggest player, Debra – a dangerous goal-grabber who has recently returned to the club; she was welcomed to the fray by a determined tackle from Millie T. Teddington weren’t frightened.
Emily Bashford then came on to give Boz a rest. What the flying Bash didn’t say was that she had been sick all week; she would eventually withdraw in tears with nausea, but only after giving her team 40 minutes of hard work. (Still, it might have been good to tell the coaches…)
Such selfless diligence was needed as Wimbledon cranked up the pressure after the break, with four or five corners in the first five minutes of the half all aimed at the towering near-post presence of Debra. Again displaying the defensive-corner fortitude they had learned for the visit of Abbey, Teddington repeatedly repelled the danger – Coffee and Em both heading clear before Coffee’s right-foot clearance from under the bar.
When Wimbledon did equalise (to notably wild celebration) in the 46th minute, it was through no Teddington fault but an unlucky consequence of honest endeavour. Displaying a steely core to her silky skills, Giulia had been digging fearlessly back into the midfield battle but her attempted tackle inadvertently turned into a perfect through-ball for Debra to latch onto and finish past the helpless Ruby.
That might have led to a collapse, but Teddington remained calm, composed – and fluid. When Giulia was forced off with a cut finger (she’d been accidentally stood on), Amy Hallett came on in the advanced right-midfield position.
The squad’s youngest player, Amy had started as a goalscoring striker before moving through periods as a winger, central midfielder and defensive midfielder. Now, for the first time in over a year, she was stationed up at the attacking end – and hasn’t lost any of her pep and drive, immediately settling in as a threat from the right, with Bash switching left and Em moving more centrally. Such versatility gives the team options during the game, and should also ensure the girls are more rounded players for any teams lucky enough to have them in the future.
As if to prove the point, after an impressive 10-minute shift Amy switched again to right-back, replacing Coffee with Boz resuming her right-wing role for the last 20 minutes. The substitution illustrated the management’s faith in their players but also their confidence in going for the win.
And it wasn’t vainglorious: by the time Boz reappeared Teddington had weathered the worst of the Wimbledon storm, and although the leaders looked dangerous it was now on what might justifiably be called “on the break”.
The home side’s determination and ability was summed up in the 68th minute, when Boz burst past that left-back once again and clipped a shot which the goalkeeper was grateful to save. The chance may have come and gone, but it was created in deep midfield by a measured 40-yard worm-burning diagonal from Carla, who had grittily won possession in deep midfield by outmuscling Debra, who might well be 18 inches taller than her.
From there the match could have gone either way. Giulia reappeared for Emily, but Em was almost immediately back in the fray when the nausea finally overcame Bash. Whatever their personnel, the front four continued to probe while the entire team defended as a unit: when a 70th-minute through-ball pierced Teddington’s back-line, there was Carla to deflect the dangerous No.11’s shot wide.
The game ended in unfortunate acrimony when controversy over an offside call led to distasteful scenes: as the visitors’ linesman put it, they didn’t score anyway, and the reaction from one of the visiting parents threatened to shame his club.
Let’s draw a veil over that and concentrate instead on a very good game of football between two good teams. Several match reports this season have detailed how Teddington played well in phases without full reward. Once again here they didn’t get the full three points but they gained something much more important. In one of their finest ever team performances, they learned that if they stand together and work for each other, they have absolutely nothing to fear in football. And that means more than any result.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Hannah Hutchison, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Carla Novakovic, Liz Kriebel, Ella Bothamley (1), Giulia Clini, Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd. Substitutes Emily Bashford and Amy Hallett, plus Ale Fairn (unused – turned ankle).
Thanks again to Catherine and David for photographs; there's more after the table.
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