After 15 consecutive victories, plus another five by default, Athletic's 21st game of the season was always going to be a coming of age of one kind or another. The League Cup semi-final pitted them against AFC Wimbledon, a well-established club team leading the Premier League, two divisions above Teddington's tyros. A cup shock would really announce the new team, but if it went the other way, how would they react in adversity?
The answer came quickly enough. Wimbledon forced three corners in the first 90 seconds, and although Athletic cleared their lines well, the first lesson wasn't long coming.
It's possible to sit in your own defence all game long, as Jose Mourinho knows: he calls it "19th-century football" when opponents do it to him, although when his Inter did it at Barcelona he called them "a team of heroes, we sweated blood". But it requires excellent communication and constant vigilance.
Having had the upper hand in every game this season, Teddington knew they were in for a tougher time against Wimbledon, and had been told to keep talking to each other and looking around for opponents - "taking pictures", as the professionals call it. In the third minute, as the visitors crowded the box, they became too concerned with watching the ball and a switched pass across the area produced a first-time shot past home goalkeeper Charlotte Ward.
At that point, a poor team could have crumbled. But Teddington are not a poor team. Three minutes after going behind, a long throw from Ella V found Sinead Morris, whose pass released striker Ale Fairn to calmly lob her 13th of the season.
Starting her first game since November after an Achilles problem, Ale was as industrious as ever, selflessly running the front line to link up with Sinead, right-winger Phoebe Head and advanced midfielder Emily Coulson. The front four were typically threatening, especially in the second half, but Wimbledon caused Teddington problems further back.
Fingers will not be pointed at any players. All the girls played their hearts out, and there were no calamitous individual errors, but the previously impressive defence – Teddington hadn't conceded a goal since Christmas – had more lessons to learn from the Premier League leaders.
The first came in the ninth minute, when Wimbledon retook a lead they were never to lose. Playing a quick 1-2 on the halfway line, the Dons' powerful No.7 burst through a surprised home defence to calmly find the bottom corner of Charlotte's net. Teddington simply hadn't faced an opponent as strong, or a team who could do to them what they've done to every League Two side this season: pass around them.
The third lesson lasted the rest of the half. Wimbledon had the triple benefit of the lead, the wind and the slope; sensing that Teddington's defenders weren't happy turning to defend generic through-balls, Wimbledon started to punt passes into the space behind the home defence. On several occasions Charlotte – who has spent much of this season an interested but distant spectator – was called upon to sprint out of her area and close down attacks; on the 15-minute mark, she did well to do so but her clearance was expertly lobbed back over her head into the empty net.
That made it 3-1, only a minute after Teddington might have equalised with an attack of Premier League class. Phoebe, who was beginning to torment the Dons left-back, sent over a dangerous deep cross which Emily at the back post beautifully controlled in the manner of the Dennis Bergkamp statue (although Spurs fan Em may not appreciate the comparison). However, the shot didn't match the take-down, and a minute later Wimbledon doubled their lead with that through-ball.
For the rest of the half the visitors turned Teddington round with balls pumped forward. Let us be clear that these passes into space need not be "long-ball", nor were Wimbledon excessively agricultural; but what Teddington may need to learn is that opponents playing a high line will be susceptible to an angled pass played in front of a flying winger, which the League Two champions unquestionably possess.
It's a lesson learned last season by the U12s' "big sisters" in what is now Teddington's U13 Girls side, of which your reporter was an assistant manager. It need not mean abandoning the pleasing passing which has helped Teddington tear their division apart, but last season's side learnt through happy experience that a well-weighted through-ball played between defenders is often more likely to create a chance than a pass to feet and an attempted dribble.
If that is the lesson for the front four, the back line had their own lesson hammered home in the 18th minute when a free-kick well saved by Charlotte was turned in by a Wimbledon striker lurking unmarked and unseen. Again, this is not to decry any single player, but it should help them all improve: be alert; be vigilant; keep taking photographs.
And watch the through-ball. Three minutes after that followed-up free kick made it 4-1, yet another pass beyond the back line brought yet another brave interception from Charlie which was once again turned in by a visitor following in – all this a minute after the increasingly impressive Sinead saw a fizzed shot from the edge of the area turned wide. What could have been 4-2 and game on became 5-1 and a daunting task – which got worse, cruelly, with the last kick of the half, via another template goal: a through-ball, well taken.
Many teams could be forgiven for throwing in the towel at this point: 6-1 down, in the stinging wind, to the confident leaders from two divisions higher. But manager Dave W calmed the team down, insisted they could get back into the game and gave them the confidence to do so. Tactical tweaks passed on, the teams retook the pitch.
Two minutes into the half, the plans need reworking when a visibly distraught Jelly was forced off with a shoulder injury. Playing in a new position slightly in front of the two-girl defence, "Jelly" had as usual been the team's driving force, but the injury added to the insult of losing for the first time clearly affected her. Sadie Day bounced on to add more forward thrust and belief, and six minutes later the home side got overdue recognition for their efforts.
Fittingly it was Phoebe who got the goal back, bursting through from the right wing an arrowing in a shot. When the goalkeeper parried it, "Pheebs" simply lashed the ball back past her and into the top corner: 6-2.
Wimbledon continued to look dangerous but Teddington had learned lessons. Saskia Brewster has impressed all season long with her covering defensive runs and willingness to create in possession, and twice in the second half she hoovered up a hopeful through-ball, shepherding the striker away from goal and recycling possession into Teddington's midfield. Alongside her, Ella Parkinson-Mearns was typically tenacious despite carrying a knock from a first-half collision: "It hurt, but I adjusted my face so it just looked like I was concerned about losing."
In front of them, Ruby Rudkin was as enjoyably robust as ever, while Millie MacEacharn came on to add quiet determination. And when Sadie was flattened by a fair but firm challenge, Jelly rejoined the fray and Teddington really took the game to the visitors.
A second half that had started with Sinead skinning three successive Premier League defenders continued with her fellow winger Phoebe stinging the hands of the goalkeeper. Had that shot made it 6-3, with 15 minutes to go and Teddington enjoying the slope and wind as well as increased confidence, we might have seen a Hollywood comeback. As it was, Wimbledon just about managed to hold the hosts at bay, typified in the last minute by another Phoebe effort clawed off the line by a combination of three defenders.
Teddington didn't win the game but they won the second half and a lot of admirers, and learned a lot of lessons. With the championship won, promotion is merely a question of whether the league promote the team by one or two divisions, if they don't restructure. Whatever division Teddington find themselves in next season, harder opponents will come, and manager Dave W is already scheduling friendlies against higher-level teams. Life is a process of education and improvement, and sometimes the best lessons are hardest learnt. Teddington can, and will, take victories from this defeat.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-2-3-2) Charlotte Ward; Saskia Brewster, Ella Parkinson-Mearns; Ella V, Ruby Rudkin; Phoebe Head (1), Emily Coulson, Sinead Morris; Ale Fairn (1). Subs: Millie MacEacharn, Sadie Day. 10am, Teddington Cricket Club, strong wind.
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