Sun 22 Nov: Teddington Athletic 0-0 Maidenhead

In the supposed hierarchy of football results, 0-0 is often thought to be the worst for neutrals. Unlike most other sports, the game is predicated upon the relative rarity of scoring success, yet when neither team makes the breakthrough there is a guilty feeling of failure, of promise unfulfilled.

Often, though, these hierarchies are fatuous generalisations which disregard individual attributes and attractiveness. Just as a well-engineered car park can have more design worth than a City of London skyscraper, a good 0-0 can be more involving than any ground-out 2-0 or cakewalked 4-1.

So it was with Teddington’s second game against Maidenhead Blue Sox. Having blitzed the Berkshire league last term, the newcomers have sought, and found, harder opposition in the Surrey League – and have started to make their mark on what is turning into a fascinating Premier Division season.

Maidenhead hosted Teddington on a crisply autumnal early-October day at Bisham Abbey, and gave as good as they got in a 3-2 reverse. That was their fourth successive single-goal defeat to last season’s top-four sides, but since then they have found their feet with three home wins against the division’s relative strugglers (Palace Blues, Fleet and South Park) and a hard-fought 1-1 at wobbling champions Wimbledon.

As a result they came to Broom Road a point clear of their hosts, albeit from two games more. Teddington have had their own dichotomous season: comfortable wins over South Park (twice) and Kempton, plus that rather harder victory at Maidenhead, have contrasted with disappointingly comprehensive beatings at Abbey and Wimbledon.

So it was with some interest that Teddington prepared for Maidenhead’s visit: tactics were tweaked, formations discussed and personnel considered. The home side had clipped wings: with Phoebe Head ill, Emily Bashford away and Sinead Morris having left the team, they were without their three fastest flankers.

However, Millie MacEacharn has made that left-sided berth her own not through speed but through hard effort, teamwork, diligence and awareness. Having impressed in a cameo on the right against Kempton, Ella Bothamley slotted straight in alongside an unchanged central midfield quartet of Amy Hallett, Ella Dodd, Carla Novakovic and Emily Coulson, the latter particularly happy to support ever-willing front-runner Ale Fairn.

The defence was also unchanged, which is credit to another girl who has settled straight into a position. Although Millie Theobald is available again, Anna Kauffmann will be a difficult team-mate to dislodge in that backline; the Danish girl once again displayed tactical awareness, no little vision on the ball and a fleetness of foot that often got her team out of trouble.

To managerial despair, a Teddington team that had been asked for a high-tempo opening started the game as if still in pyjamas, but by the fifth minute they were asserting themselves on Maidenhead. Ceaselessly pressing their opponents, the strong midfield had the upper hand for most of the first half.

The hard work tired the home side, but that’s where rolling substitutions help: work hard, have a rest, come back on. Positional flexibility helps, too: when Boz ran herself ragged on the right, Millie T came on in defence, Anna pushing into midfield and Emily floating out wide.

Sadie also discovered a new position, the right-winger coming on to replace Macca on the left, and getting involved in a lovely flowing move that ended in perhaps Teddington’s clearest chance of the half.

Amy Hallett strode out of defensive midfield and played a clever diagonal for Sadie, who skipped past the right-back and dummied inside with an ease which might have even surprised the affable winger herself. Her astute pull-back found ale at the near post, but her instinctive first-time flick was the wrong side of the wood and ruffled the side-netting.

Not that Teddington had had it all their own way. Just before the half-hour a Maidenhead corner was volleyed in from the edge of the area, with Ruby’s parry and a messy clearance only finding a striker – who then found herself pounced upon by the brave goalkeeper.

Ruby was again impressive five minutes into the second period: an uncharacteristic mistake from Jelly allowed the striker in on goal, but Rubes got down well to push it wide.

Two minutes later Maidenhead breached the back line again. This time it was through good passing rather than defensive error, and indeed Millie T showed great composure to recover, rescue the ball, work her way wide and calmly play the ball out of defence.

As in Berkshire, Maidenhead had the better second half after Teddington edged the first period. Unlike in that first game, the goals didn’t follow, but the football did. Although each team could use a long throw from the commanding centre-back, this was no war of attrition, with both sides plainly preferring to play the ball on the deck and pass through their opposition. It may not have resulted in goals, but it made for a game that was fascinating and absorbing rather than tense and fearful – as did the cordial relations with the Maidenhead management.

With their next five league games all against those bottom three sides, Maidenhead may well have built up a fair head of steam – and number of points – by the time they come to face the title challengers again. They may well make Teddington’s own top-four ambitions harder to fulfil, but in this reporter’s view Maidenhead are a welcome addition to the league.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Ella Dodd, Carla Novakovic, Ella Bothamley, Emily Coulson, Millie MacEacharn, Ale Fairn. Subs Millie Theobald, Sadie Day.

Sun 8 Nov: Teddington Athletic 6-1 Kempton Girls (Surrey Lge Cup 1st Round)

Three weeks after their last game, Teddington Athletic reconvened. Well, most of them did. Manager Dave Waldron was away for the weekend, Sadie Day and Sinead Morris were laid low with stomach bugs, and Ella Parkinson-Mearns is a long-term absentee with knee trouble.

Even so, the squad presented an abundance of options – so much so that stalwart defender Millie Theobald wasn’t able to force her way in to the starting XI, due to the excellent form of Anna Kauffmann, who continued at the back alongside Ella Waldron and the returning Saskia Brewster. Jelly might have been moved forward into defensive midfield but equally, why remove Amy Hallett, who is quietly mastering the position?

Into central midfield came Ella Dodd and Carla Novakovic, with points to prove against their old team Kempton Girls, while Emily Coulson was preferred as the midfield diamond’s fourth, nominally most advanced member. Out wide, Phoebe Head and Millie MacEacharn continued to mix midfield mucking-in with supporting the striker, on this occasion Ale Fairn.

Ale now has competition up top, with Ella Bothamley settling in well both on and off the field. Although starting on the bench alongside Millie T and new signing Emily Bashford, Boz knew she would get on – and would certainly be involved in the action.

And the action started straight away, with a four-girl move almost finished by Carla within the opening 20 seconds. As it was, Teddington only had to wait four minutes to open the scoring, when a Jelly throw was met by Emily Coulson at the near post and flicked beyond the goalkeeper.



A minute later Kempton broke through but Anna once again diligently stuck to the forward and, although not tackling her, did enough to make life hard and the chance was mopped up by defensive colleagues.

Defence isn’t just about stopping the opposition: with good enough players, it can be the springboard for attacks. Seven minutes in, Jelly won the ball in central defence and rather than lashing it clear, had the confidence to stride out and select the ball. Her clever diagonal set Phoebe free, and her cross picked out Macca and Ale at the back post, although Macca – once again impressive in training and hard-working on match day – couldn’t keep the shot down.



It didn’t matter. A minute later, Ale chased down the ball in the inside-left channel, won possession and shot – gently but accurately; the latter part became important when the goalkeeper couldn’t quite keep it out. Ale shyly accepted the applause.

On the quarter-hour, Teddington scored a goal of genuine quality. Using her height to get to a falling ball first, Doddsy sent a high volley arcing expertly over the keeper and into the top corner.

Three became four on 22 minutes. Kempton had struggled to clear their lines, with a Macca header clawed desperately off the line, and when they forced the ball out to the edge of the area they were unlucky to discover a lurking Amy. Keeping her head over the falling ball and catching it on the half-volley with well-practised aplomb, Amy sent it scudding into the bottom corner.

Top of Division 1 with 34 goals scored and only nine conceded, Kempton were far from acquiescent, but whenever they tried to force their way through they found another determined Teddingtonian in the way, from pint-sized warriors Amy and Carla to bigger obstacles like Doddsy and Jelly. After an injury delay the home team switched off slightly, allowing Kempton in to hit the post with five minutes left, but pleasingly tightened up and saw the half out to go in 4-0 up.

Half-time allowed for more changes. Millie T replaced the faultless Anna, who would later return in midfield as the team members continued to get education and experience in different roles. Macca made way for Emily Ashford to make her debut, while Boz – who had replaced Ale up top midway through the half – switched to the right wing for a change as Ale’s return allowed a rest for Phoebe, who had herself suffered a stomach bug during the week.

So Teddington had two new wingers, Boz and Bash, who proceeded to set about Kempton’s back line. The visiting defenders were certainly no pushovers, solid and determined players each, but the relatively diminutive Bash didn’t give them a minute’s peace. After 11 minutes she forced a left-wing corner, which Boz curled into corridor of uncertainty – where a defender deflected it in, the second own-goal Boz has forced in successive games.

Three minutes later, Boz got the goal she craved, and it was another of top-flight quality. Her right-wing corner hadn’t been cleared – Ale almost turned it home – and when it ricocheted out to the wing, Boz venomously squeezed it into the bottom corner for 6-0.



Coursing with confidence, Boz was tearing at Kempton’s left flank. Looking up to see what every winger loves – one team-mate making a near-post run, the other aiming for the back stick – she expertly flighted it over Ale to Bash, but the debutant went for it with her feet rather than head and couldn’t quite force it home.  

 

The remaining task was to maintain a clean sheet, but that was foiled with 12 minutes to go. The defence confidently awaited an offside flag that didn’t come; Kempton didn’t hang around, and although Ruby was bravely off her line to block the first attacker, the ball popped clear for the other Kempton girl to tidy up.

Within four minutes Teddington got a chance to restore their six-goal cushion with their first penalty since… well, this reporter struggles to recall. Emily Coulson was certainly upended in the area, but curiously no Teddington player fancied taking the spot-kick – although plenty of them freely expressed their opinions about who else should. Asked if she wanted it, Boz accepted the responsibility and fired the ball strongly toward the top corner… but the Kempton keeper got her own personal redemption by excellently pushing the shot over.



So as the final whistle sounded, Boz stayed on four goals, staying level with her fellow forward Ale Fairn. Rested for much of the second half, Phoebe Head had a rare goalless day, but three girls – Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd and Amy Hallett – bagged their first of the season, as five girls scored in a pleasing display of all-round potency.

That will need to continue. Since the game, it has emerged that Sinead will be leaving the squad. That’s a shame – she’s a fine player – but Teddington will continue. Macca had already made the left-wing spot her own through diligent self-improvement, and she now has another rival in Bash – whose second-half showing immediately demonstrated Sinead-like qualities of muscular determination and frightening pace. She is a welcome addition to an ever-improving Teddington squad.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett (1), Ella Dodd (1), Carla Novakovic, Phoebe Head, Emily Coulson (1), Millie MacEacharn, Ale Fairn (1). Subs Millie Theobald, Emily Bashford, Ella Bothamley (1). +1og

Sun 18 Oct: Teddington Athletic 8-1 South Park

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Teddington Athletic's first home game as an 11-a-side team, at their new base of the St Mary's campus on Broom Road, went along like many of their previous games: with pleasing parental help, footballing intelligence, a good mentality and plenty of goals.

The parents were rallying to the Tampa Tour cause, creating a makeshift refreshment stall selling bacon butties and the like to raise money for the Easter 2016 trip Stateside. The girls, meanwhile, were demonstrating their intelligence and mentality by overcoming some obstacles.

For starters, the previous week's ghosts need to be exorcised. A chastening defeat at Wimbledon had underlined the squad's need to pull together and work for each other, and circumstances for this game against South Park forced them to do so even more.

Teddington's squad is blessed with many good footballers, but not many defenders. In fact, if every girl honestly nominated her favoured position, there would probably only be three defenders – and all of them were absent. Saskia Brewster and Millie Theobald were on holiday, and with Ella Parkinson-Mearns still injured, replacements were needed.

Luckily, Ella Waldron – in the week she was deservedly named Best Female Footballer at the Teddington School Sports Awards – is more than capable of commanding the backline, as she has done on many occasions. To her left, Carla Novakovic has always cheerily pitched in wherever requested, including a couple of defensive stints. And on the right of the back three, Anna Kauffmann willingly took on a new role to continue a very impressive and welcome return to the team after illness problems last season.

Finding midfielders is rarely difficult. Amy Hallett continued her education as the defensive anchor behind Emily Coulson and Ella Dodd, with Phoebe Head and Millie MacEacharn wide. Up top, Ella Bothamley and Ale Fairn continued their burgeoning partnership, while Sadie Day and Sinead Morris were ready on the bench.

The only thing the team needed was a goalkeeper… and a minute before the 10am kick-off, in sprinted Ruby Rudkin, full of apology and determination.

And although Teddington had the better of the early exchanges, South Park had the first clear chance, through miscommunication at the back. Jelly tried to let a bouncing ball through to Ruby, but the goalkeeper wasn't as ready as the striker, who nipped in and was only stopped by Ruby bravely diving at her feet.

Any worries were eased by two quick Teddington goals before the tenth minute. First Phoebe sped through and, after initially seeming to take it too close to the goalkeeper, effortlessly clipped it over her. Two minutes later she doubled her tally with an instinctive left-foot finish at the back post from a corner.

Settling in, Teddington were playing lovely football. Ale dropped deep to pick out a clever 10-yard diagonal in front of Macca, whose superb whipped cross behind the back four was met by a solid Boz shot, well saved. Then Phoebe, Doddsy and Boz were all denied in a frantic 30-second period.

By the 12th minute Boz had the ball in the net, but to no avail. Emily had done well to win a falling ball in midfield, Doddsy and played through a clever ball for Phoebe to pull back for Boz – but after consultation with the linesman, the referee judged the latter two to have been marginally offside.

Still Teddington pressed, setting each other up with pleasing teamwork. After 21 minutes Phoebe won the ball 25 yards out, Boz skipped past the defender and cut through on goal but unselfishly squared for Ale to finish left-footed at the far post for 3-0.

On the half-hour three became four. Doddsy powered on from midfield through the inside-right channel and shot towards the far side – and when the goalkeeper parried the shot, Ale was again on hand to lash it high into the net.

South Park weren't lying down, and with two minutes left they broke through the lines – only for Jelly, Carla and Anna to swarm back and muscle the striker off the ball. Anna in particular was impressive at right-back, settling into her new role as if born for it, timing her tackles expertly despite the left-winger's speed.  

Even so, much of the defensive arts are about concentration and learning. Teddington didn't heed the warning and in injury time conceded a goal with virtually the last kick, despite all three defenders desperately trying to clear.

The half-time break brought changes which reflected the squad's depth rather than any deficiencies ion the departing. Sinead came on for the excellent Macca wide left, while on the other side Sadie replaced two-goal Ale – with Phoebe shifting into an experimental new central role behind Boz. New position, same result: two minutes in, Phoebe completed her hat-trick, coming in on the angle and expertly finding the far corner.

Ten minutes after the break, Phoebe again rampaged down the right, sent through by a clever little diagonal, but her cross couldn't quite be reached by Sinead. The enigmatic left-winger was slightly rusty, suffering from a lack of football, but would come to dominate the later stages of the game.

On 51 minutes, Sinead was set up by Doddsy powering through the inside-left channel, and although the winger's cross eluded Boz, Phoebe – bending her run round Boz to hit the far post – had more time to judge the flight and clip home first time for her fourth of the afternoon and her ninth of the season.

Boz was clearly gagging for a goal. Having bagged a brace on her debut at South Park, she had endured two games affected by a heavy cold and was looking to get back on the scoresheet. She got an assist of sorts on 57 minutes when her corner was unluckily deflected in for an own goal, but just after the hour she finally got her reward, calmly hammering home a chance cleverly created by Sinead's excellent cut inside and curled right-foot ball to feet.

By that time Phoebe and the diligent Amy had been replaced by Macca and Ale. The striker was again given a new role, as a No.10 playing off Boz, but still managed a couple of chances to complete her own hat-trick - sadly fluffed, although she pronounced herself happy with her day's work.

As might Teddington be. After the Wimbledon defeat they had got straight back on the horse, working well for each other in defence, midfield and attack, with a number of players impressing in new positions.

It is a pity that low squad numbers mean the next game is not for three weeks: the impending trip to Crystal Palace Reds has had to be forfeited because the holiday-ravaged visitors can't raise a team, while the following Sunday's Surrey Cup game with Kempton has been postponed for a week. It is the final time Teddington can request a postponement without forfeit in a season of great promise, if everyone works together on and off the field.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Carla Novakovic, Amy Hallett, Ella Dodd, Emily Coulson, Phoebe Head (4), Ella Bothamley (1), Millie MacEacharn, Ale Fairn (2). 1og.