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.