Sun 29 Sep: Colne Valley Blues (A) W 6-1

Usually when a member of the management picks up his cards, it means things aren't going too well for the team. Couldn't be further from the truth in this case, but your reporter (and TAFC U12G assistant manager) didn't feel that way when tearing back home for the forgotten registration cards, grateful that the opposition and referee had agreed to wait - and that Colne Valley play in relatively nearby Sunbury.

When the action did get under way, it was kick-started by Teddington's oldest registered player. Having just reached the grand old age of 12, Sinead Morris was captain for the day and turned in her usual effervescent performance, opening the scoring after seven minutes by racing through and firing past the stranded Colne goalkeeper.

Sinead Morris acknowledges her opening goal

Before too long, Teddington had doubled their lead from the penalty spot after an instinctive but definitely illegal handball. Emily Coulson kept her cool as usual to despatch the dead ball, and the visitors were truly in control.

Emily Coulson steps up to take the penalty...

...job done

A cynic might have wondered how Teddington would manage without their leading scorer Phoebe Head. Such a cynic would be answered in style. Adaptable players, a team spirit and a strong squad have put Dave W's team deservedly top of the league, and on this occasion they never looked like surrendering the lead in the game or the table.

In Phoebe's absence, Ale Fairn again led the line with diligence and intelligence. A quiet but thoughtful figure, Ale asks astute questions of her management team and is starting to ask difficult ones of the defenders tasked with marking her.

Foot on the ball: Sinead looks to start again

As expected, Ale was ably abetted by Sinead's forward runs, this time from central midfield, where the birthday girl was partnered by the increasingly tactically aware Emily. With tiny but mighty right-winger Amy Hallett combining defensive grit and attacking penetration, Teddington were flying at Colne from all angles and only an inspired goalkeeping performance kept the score down to 3-0 at half-time, after Millie MacEacharn - pushed forward to the left of midfield after last week's encouraging debut at left-back - put the result beyond reasonable doubt with a close-range finish from a corner.

And it was from a corner that Teddington started the second-half scoring... straight from a corner. Ella V, making her first appearance of the season, crowned a commanding performance by managing to get on the scoresheet direct from the quadrant. A fine corner-taker with a dangerous long throw and a fine scowl for any team-mates not listening to her positional instructions, Ella gave a fine performance at centre-back.

Nope, this one didn't go in

To her right, Ella Parkinson-Mearns again demonstrated her longstanding relish for the tackle and increasing appetite for construction in possession, while on the other side the returning Saskia Brewster looked like she'd never played anywhere but left-back, calmly cutting out through-balls and starting counterattacks with cleverly controlled through-balls. Quickly maturing into a fine player, Saskia switched into the centre of defence toward the end of the game when Ella V moved forward into midfield.

...nor this one

By that point Teddington were 6-0 up; even the continuously impressive home goalkeeper couldn't prevent Sinead doubling her tally with a fine first-time finish into the corner, or half-time sub Ruby - again a pleasingly dominant presence in midfield - getting her second goal in consecutive games.

...or this one

All that remained was to keep a clean sheet, but that didn't quite happen when a last-minute hit-and-hope forward found its way past Charlotte Ward. That's a pity for the visibly annoyed goalkeeper, who was impressive when called upon and unlucky with the goal - but her desire to keep improving is a fine message to the rest of the group, as was Sadie Day's determination to play on after receiving a whack to the head.

Having dealt their opponents several blows, Teddington played well without ever really hitting the heights that they are surely capable of. Impressive individually and keen without exception to learn more about the game, the girls will only improve that their deservedly high reputation is giving them more time on the ball than they realise, time enough to pick out a pass to a better-placed team-mate.

It's starting to happen: as on the opening day, Emily carved open the opposition with an incisive through-ball, matched in the second half by a gorgeous outside-of-the-boot pass from Sinead, worthy of her hero Thierry Henry. Each of these girls is able to beat an opponent individually, but once they get used to each others' games and start to truly play as a team, they could be frightening to behold.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Charlotte Ward; Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Ella V (1), Saskia Brewster; Amy Hallett, Emily Coulson (1p), Sinead Morris (c, 2), Millie MacEacharn (1); Ale Fairn. Subs: Ruby Rudkin (1), Sadie Day.

Up Next: Colne Valley Blues (A)

In the 2012/13 Under-11s Division One, Colne Valley Girls FC played 20 league games and won all of them, conceding just 13 and scoring what looks like an artificially-capped 99 goals.  

That side got promoted to the top flight, which meant no more awkward inter-club "derbies" against Colne Valley Girls FC Blues, who host Teddington Athletic on Sunday morning. The Blues won 4 and lost 12 of their 20 games last season, scoring 24 and conceding 53 - not a bad goals-against total considering a dozen defeats and three impressive teams at the top of the league.

This season, the Blues have won 1 and lost 2, scoring 7 and conceding 13. They bounced back from a 9-1 opening-day loss to Kempton with a 4-1 win at Guildford Saints, before a narrow 3-2 defeat at home to Abbey Rangers.

As for Teddington, they go into the game top of the league, with two well-deserved wins and a walkover. The squad is shuffled again, as it will be every week: rested this time are Phoebe, Sophie and Millie T, with Saskia and Amy returning - and Ella V able to make her first appearance of the season.

Squad: Charlotte, Ella P, Ella W, Millie Mac, Saskia, Emily, Ruby, Amy, Sadie, Sinead, Ale.

The kick-off is at 10am at Kenyngton Manor Recreation Ground, Bryony Way, Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey TW16 7RH - 20 minutes from Teddington. There is a car park at the ground: enter through the gate from Bryony Way off Vicarage Road. Please be there for 9.20 for warm-up and team-talk.


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Finally, a big hand to Millie Mac's dad Ross for volunteering to be linesman. Not only does it help free up the manager and assistant manager for those crucial in-game tactical tête-à-têtes, it also helps you feel much more involved in the game and club.

Sun 22 Sep 2013: Kempton Girls (A) W 4-2

All you can do, the old saw says, is beat what's put in front of you. Having won their first game 10-1 and their second 3-0, Kempton Girls came into their table-topping clash against Teddington Athletic without their leading scorer. 

That's not Teddington's fault, nor is it the visitors' problem that the key player proved literally irreplaceable: Kempton played the game a girl short. 

Concentrating on their own game, Teddington continued where they had left off against Abbey Rangers a fortnight earlier: passing, moving, dribbling and scoring. Any worries that the fortnight's gap since the last game might have affected the team were soon dismissed as Teddington went ahead early on.

There was an element of fortune about the manner of Phoebe Head's opener, but it was deserved by both team and player. Having scored a hat-trick in the opening game as a striker, Phoebe adapted with elan to an attacking right-wing position as manager Dave shuffled his pack to bring in impressive forward Ale Fairn. 

Sometimes the greatest danger to a winning team comes not from the opposition but their own complacency. Having blazed into an early lead, Teddington might have thought every game was a walkover. Oppositional proof arrived when a Kempton free-kick squirmed its way under the unfortunate Charlotte Ward to level the scores.

How a team responds to its first setback can say a lot about its character and class, and it's a joy to report that Teddington soon put the game all but beyond Kempton. Phoebe scored, again from a set-piece, to regain the lead – and put the birthday-celebrating captain-for-the-day on five goals from two games – but any suspicions of over-reliance on one girl were blasted away with two goals from debutants. 

Another set-piece, another worry for Kempton 

First, ever-willing front-runner Ale tigerishly chased down a terrified defence to force home what might be the first of many for the talented left-footer. Not long after, midfield marauder Ruby Rudkin motored forward and caused chaos in the Kempton defence, eventually nodding a half-clearance over the line from short range.  

Ruby becoming Teddington's sixth different goalscorer in two games gives some indication of the squad's impressive depth, and manager Dave W was able to bring on yet more players. Having impressed out wide in the win at Abbey Rangers, Sophie Wallman again displayed tireless tenacity in the middle of the park, while her fellow sub Sadie Day also enjoyed the midfield battle.

Phoebe attacks down the right once again

They had come on to rest two goalscorers from the Abbey game: the elegant Emily Coulson and energetic Sinead Morris, whose urgent desire to get involved saw her popping up everywhere across the pitch despite an official posting on the left flank. A winning combination of tirelessness and talent, Sinead came back on as a central midfielder and manager Dave may well ponder playing her in a more central role in future games - especially considering she plays all across the pitch anyway…

The front four combined commitment with occasional lack of discipline, sometimes falling foul of keeping their heads down rather than looking up for a team-mate: dribbling beats the weak teams, but enough passing and movement can beat any team. 

Behind them, the defence was again a well-balanced, functional unit. On the right, Ella Parkinson-Mearns again displayed a fearless desire for the tackle and an increasing attacking awareness. In the middle, Millie Theobald - a player so well-balanced that when asked in training which foot she preferred to kick with, responded with a quizzical "no idea" - organised her back-line impeccably.

Second-half action as Teddington push Kempton back

At left-back, in for the impressive Saskia Brewster, was another debutant Millie MacEacharn. Naturally shy, Millie Mac quietly takes on board everything that is explained to her, whether it's a mid-match positional prompting from Millie T or a technique learned in training: coach Tim's Thursday-night work on dragbacks couldn't have worked better than when Millie Mac cut out a Kempton attack, turned two players and set in motion a Teddington counter-offensive in one beautifully smooth move.

Kempton deserve much credit. A girl down against league leaders making several substitutions to keep fresh, they refused to give up and reduced the arrears with the only goal of the second half. But it's to Teddington's credit that they neither panicked nor conceded again, with goalkeeper Charlotte looking big and strong, and distributing the ball well with a mix of kicks and throws to start attacks. 

These two sides will meet again on at least another two occasions, and Kempton may be much tougher to beat next time. But the Teddington team - and squad - can look forward to many more happy Sundays if they continue to play to their potential.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Charlotte Ward; Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Millie Theobald, Millie MacEacharn; Phoebe Head (c) (2); Emily Coulson, Ruby Rudkin (1), Sinead Morris; Ale Fairn (1). Subs: Sophie Wallman, Sadie Day.

Thanks to Ferg MacEacharn for the filming

Up next: Kempton Girls (A)

Two games, two wins. Can't ask much more than that, and it's the start that Kempton Girls have put together.

Their opening-day 10-1 dismissal of Colne Valley Blues was followed with a 3-0 win at Abbey Rangers, whom Teddington had demolished 9-0 in a monsoon-shortened season opener.

It would be easy to note the difference between those scores against Abbey and adjudge Teddington the better team, but danger lurks there. Abbey didn't look a particularly poor team against a well-organised Teddington, and may have improved dramatically with match experience. Similarly, Kempton didn't hit double figures that first week by accident.

Last season, Kempton finished fourth from bottom in an 11-team Division One featuring five of the teams making up this season's six-team Division Two – the other team being newcomers Teddington.

In 2012/13, Kempton gathered 17 points from 20 games with apparently extreme economy: they won five games despite only scoring 14 goals, the division's second-lowest total; they conceded 64, the division's second-highest.

That often means narrow wins against the teams at the bottom, coupled with heavy losses against the teams at the top. But it could also point to an initially struggling team staging a late-season recovery.

Certainly the evidence of this season points to a decent team: 13 goals scored to only one conceded (note that the official table seems to cap victories at eight-goal margins, which seems fair enough if applied across the board).

Specifically, on the opening day of 2013/14 Kempton hit double figures against Colne Valley, a team they'd only finished a point clear of last season. That could mean Colne (who won the following weekend) had an off-day, but it could also mean Kempton could be Teddington's strongest opponents this season. The girls will have to be on their guard against their opponents' potential as well as their own complacency.

MATCH DETAILS 
Sun 22 Sep 2013, 2pm kick-off at Chennestone Primary School, Manor Lane, Sunbury-on-Thames, TW16 5ED - roughly 15 minutes from Teddington. Girls should be there by 1.25pm please.


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Notes from the host club: Strictly no dogs; no smoking on the school grounds; please park on Manor Lane rather than in the school car park.

Squad: Charlotte, Ella P, Millie T, Millie Mc, Ruby, Emily, Ale, Phoebe, Sophie, Sadie, Sinead.

Sun 15 Sep 2013: Caterham Pumas (A) Walkover

Just after noon in a Saturday monsoon, which is forecast to last the weekend. The phone pings: it's manager Dave, saying that tomorrow's game has been called off. Not for anti-climatic reasons, but anti-climactic ones: Caterham can't get enough players together to get anywhere near a team.

And as it's after noon on the day before the game, they can't request a postponement from the league, but have to hand us the points instead. Shame: quite fancied a game. Further shame: we get the points a win would bring, but not the goal difference it might have done. Hmm.

No matter: Dave got the girls together for a training session/kickabout, the heavens remaining miraculously closed until the team trooped off. Bring on the next game.

Elsewhere, Kempton Girls won 3-0 at Abbey, while the team Kempton crushed 10-1 last week, Colne Valley, bounced back with a 4-1 win at Guildford Saints.

Up next: Caterham Pumas (A)

After the opening 9-0 win at Abbey Rangers, Teddington step into the unknown at Caterham Pumas. Catherham didn't play last weekend, so there's no real way of knowing how strong they are this season.

A quick look around their website reveals that they started last season. The League website
shows they finished 6th in an 11-team second tier. Of their 20 games, they won 7 and lost 10, but notably scored more (40) than they conceded (39), suggesting they lost more narrowly than they won.

It's worth noting that last season's tables can always be slightly misleading. Teams can change from term to term, and the league's new three-tier structure presents new challenges. It's certainly worth noting that Caterham finished 7 points clear of Kempton Girls, who kicked off last week with a 10-1 win over Colne Valley Blues – a team Kempton had only finished 1 point above last season. Hopefully Teddington will be happy but not overconfident - and most of all, enjoy the game.

What we do know is that Caterham play at Joliffe Playing Fields, Fox Lane, CR3 5QS – it's a 50-minute drive away: see interactive map below for how to get there. The 9v9 pitch is apparently "third from the clubhouse on the left". It's a 10am kick-off so we'll meet there at 9.30am.

Team news Ella V is still unavailable on cricket duty, Amy is double-booked with a prior engagement and Phoebe is suffering an eye injury. However, Ale, Ruby, Sadie and Millie Mac return so we'll have two subs, both of whom we will expect to bring on during the game.

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Sun 8 Sep 2013: Abbey Rangers (A) W 9-0

On paper, it seemed a tough task. Abbey Rangers are one of the best-run clubs in Surrey, formed in 1976, with large well-maintained grounds catering for north of 30 teams and something like 500 players.

But football isn't played on paper, it's played on grass, and today Teddington played football to be proud of. Despite missing a startling five players - more than a third of the squad - and playing without substitutes, the new girls' U12 team played Abbey Rangers off the park… literally.

The girls trot back after another goal goes in

Had the game been closer, it wouldn't have ended 18 minutes early when a sudden squall drenched all in rain and hail. But by then, the match was well and truly won, Teddington having piled up nine goals without reply.

With striker Ale Fairn missing at a prior engagement and no fewer than four players - Sadie Day, Millie MacEacharn, Ruby Rudkin and Ella V - swapping the stripes for the whites to play in a cricket final, manager Dave W was only just able to fill the nine-a-side team. But those on duty averaged a goal each.

Credit where it's due, though, and the goal charge was spearheaded by Phoebe Head and Sinead Morris. Fresh back from a break in Portugal and shrugging off doubts about an ankle injury, Phoebe led from the front, scoring in confident style within two minutes. She was soon joined by Sinead, gliding dangerously forward from the left wing and finishing with a flourish worthy of her idol Thierry Henry.

Emily Coulson fires in a shot as seven of Teddington's nine get forward

Phoebe and Sinead would eventually complete a hat-trick each, but this wasn't just about star players demolishing demoralised opposition. Wherever Abbey Rangers went on the pitch, they came across Teddington players enthusiastically determined to dispossess them and set up an attack.

In midfield, pocket rockets Amy Hallett and Sophie Wallman simply refused to let Abbey construct attacks, closing down with merciless joy and outplaying girls often half a foot taller than them. Amy would end up scoring two well-deserved goals.

In between the two, Emily Coulson linked midfield and attack with growing aplomb, providing the pass of the match when she took the time to look up, spy Sophie's willing run down the right wing and split three defenders with an inch-perfect ball into her path. Emily, too, got on the scoresheet.

Behind them, the back three maintained commendable concentration and increasingly joined in with attacks. While goalkeeper Charlotte Ward dealt confidently with what little came at her and centre-back Millie Theobald marshalled a back line that never panicked under pressure, right-back Ella Parkinson-Mearns and left-back Saskia Brewster took turns to maraud forward in support of their team-mates.

Attack from the back: right-back Ella Parkinson-Mearns takes a left-foot shot

They could get forward because every Teddington player looked comfortable on the ball, and every player looked out for each other – with tackles and passes. That's the secret of teamwork, and will be the key to winning harder games than this. Weaker opponents can be dribbled past, but the better defences are usually easier to unpick with through-balls. On the evidence of this game, Teddington have both the players and the team ethic to go far in this league.

Dave debriefs the soggy victors

A quick note on cricket scores: The official record shows the score was 8-0, as per an agreement between the teams following an FA request not to register winning margins bigger than eight goals. Quite right, too: there's no point humiliating youngsters by publicising excessively high scores, nor in incentivising winning teams to chase goal-difference bounties – rather than extending young players' footballing educations by giving them experience in new positions once the game's won.

On this occasion, the weather-enforced early finish denied Teddington the opportunity to switch players around. But each goal scored will be noted, so the girls' efforts will not go unnoticed. 

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Charlotte Ward (c); Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Sophie Wallman, Emily Coulson (1), Amy Hallett (2), Sinead Morris (3); Phoebe Head (3). No subs.

How to find us

PLEASE NOTE - as of September 2015 these directions no longer apply: the girls now play at St Mary's University sports facilities, Broom Road, Teddington TW11 9BE. More details on this to follow.

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Teddington Athletic's junior sides play their home games at Teddington Cricket Club on Bushy Park, a beautiful 4,000-year-old woodland space enclosed by monarchs for hunting purposes before being reopened to the public as a Royal Park.

It's a beautiful place to play and watch football, set in an ancient woodland turned Royal Park, with games only occasionally interrupted by inquisitive deer. Tea, coffee and snacks are available in the clubhouse.


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There is limited parking available behind the clubhouse, which is reached by car via Cobbler's Walk, off Chestnut Avenue (Bushy Park's main north-south road). If the Cricket Club car park is full, please park in the tarmac car park on Cobbler's Walk: the council are particularly keen to make money by doling out tickets to those parking on the verges.

Alternatively, there are free car parks on Dora Jordan Road, a two-minute walk to the north of the pitches. Access Dora Jordan Road via Bullard Road, off Queen's Road (B358) - click and zoom on the map above.

Fixtures, results and scorers, 2013/14

Click score for report.

08.09.13 W 9-0 Abbey Rangers (a)
15.09.13 W (walkover) Caterham Pumas (a)
22.09.13 W 4-2 Kempton Girls (a)
29.09.13 W 6-1 Colne Valley (a)
06.10.13 W 20-1 Guildford Saints (a)
13.10.13 W 14-0 Abbey Rangers (h)
20.10.13 W 9-1 Caterham Pumas (h)
27.10.13 W 9-0 Kempton Girls (h)
03.11.13 W 12-1 Colne Valley (h)
10.11.13 W 7-3 Caterham Pumas (h, Cup 1)
17.11.13 W 7-2 Abbey Rangers (h)
24.11.13 W 4-1 Caterham Pumas (a)
01.12.13 W (walkover) Kempton Girls (h)
08.12.13 W 5-3 Carshalton Athletic (a, Cup QF)
15.12.13 W (walkover) Guildford Saints (a)
12.01.14 W 3-0 Caterham Pumas (h)
19.01.14 W 9-0 Guildford Saints (h)
02.02.14 W (walkover) Abbey Rangers (a)
09.02.14 W (walkover) Guildford Saints (h)
16.02.14 W 5-0 Kempton Park Girls (h)
23.02.14 L 2-6 AFC Wimbledon (h, Cup SF)
02.03.14 W 8-1 Colne Valley Blues (h)

09.03.14 W 2-0 Colne Valley Blues (a)

Table:

League tables maintained by PrawnSandwich.com - 

click Surrey County Women & Girls League, U12s, Div 2 

GOALS

27 Phoebe Head

27 Sinead Morris

21 Emily Coulson

16 Ale Fairn

14 Amy Hallett

13 Ruby Rudkin

8 Ella V

4 Millie MacEacharn

2 Charlotte Ward
1 Sadie Day

1 Ella Parkinson-Mearns

1 og

TOTAL 135

FIXTURES, RESULTS & SCORERS for all TAFC seasons:
2017/18 • 2016/17 • 2015/16 • 2014/15 • 2013/14