Sun 26 Oct: Croydon Borough 1-1 Teddington Athletic

Virgo Fidelis ("Faithful Virgin") Convent Senior School was founded in 1848 by Henriette le Forestier d'Osseville, aka Mother Saint Mary, with funds provided by her father, Count Theodose le Forestier d'Osseville. The first Catholic orphanage in England since the reformation, Saint Mary's school sought to shelter the Victorian unfortunates left to fend for themselves by lack of familial protection. 

Under the school's imposing Gothic gables, a different story of family ties was played out this Sunday. Parental enthusiasm for their children's sporting pursuits is the motor that drives kids' football, and long may it continue. Around every Sunday-morning pitch you'll find a gallery of doting dads and well-meaning mums, there as taxi-drivers, emotional counsellors and food-finders.

Teddington Athletic's assembly of parents and kids headed over to Norwood in numbers, boosted by the return of three midweek injury doubts. With Sinead Morris over her knee injury, Carla Novakovic shaking off a cold and Sadie Day's ankle healing, Teddington had 12 to choose from – until Ruby Rudkin aggravated a knee problem in the warm-up. 

With Ella V covering in goal for Anna Kauffmann, Ella Dodd away and Ruby hobbled, Teddington were forced into Plan D for the vital defensive-midfield role – and the choice was perhaps surprising. The diminutive but indefatigable Carla stepped into a role that often demands physical strength, but equally requires football intelligence and positional discipline, both abilities she has displayed in spades. 

With Carla in midfield were Emily Coulson and Amy Hallett – another tiny terror playing in a position unusual to her. Sinead switched to the right wing, with Millie Mac out left; at the back, Saskia Brewster and Millie Theobald continued, with mooted replacement Ella Parkinson-Mearns troubled by a barking cough.

Again, Teddington didn't start well on a poorly-marked, uneven pitch with very long grass, and curious things started happening. Awarded a handball, Teddington were surprised to see the ball moved back three yards to be outside the area, the referee's reasoning being that "I couldn't see the lines". When questioned why he allowed the home wall to stand substantially less than 10 yards back, the ref replied "My pitch, my opinions, my rules". 

Later, after whistling for a foul without signalling a direction for the free-kick, the ref was asked which way. "Our ball," he replied, instantly demolishing any pretence at impartiality. 

The two sides continued to play out a hard-fought match – occasionally too hard-fought, as certain players got involved in unnecessary niggles with their opposite numbers. But amid the battling were glimpses of class. 

One came from Millie T, a reliable defender but one who looks to keep rather than clear the ball. Arriving in time to effect a clearance, she noted that Sinead was breaking right, altered her body shape and changed the clearance into a clever through-ball. Sinead went through and scooped it over the goalkeeper but just past the post.

Teddington attack and defend as a team, as displayed in the 25th minute when Jelly couldn't cut out a corner and the shot was fired in from the edge of the box; with Jelly beaten, Carla threw herself bodily in the way of the ball to block a certain goal. 

Jelly recovered her poise to deny Croydon's impressive centre-forward three minutes later. Although she was second favourite to reach the cross, the No.12 did very well to turn the shot goalwards, but Jelly clawed it over to keep the sheet clean.

Just after the half-hour Sinead did well to win the ball in midfield and feed Amy, who slipped it through for Ale to chase down. She and the goalkeeper clashed – malice-free, but hard enough to injure both players. Touchline tempers were rising.

Half-time brought substantial changes from the visitors. Ale limped off, with Amy also withdrawn, and the initially unwilling Millie Mac went in goal. Parky came in on the right of what was now a back three and Jelly joined Emily in midfield; Carla moved up front, Sinead switched back to the left and Sadie came on to the right wing.  

The changes helped but the game was still even and disappointingly stop-start. Emily showed a flash of creativity by bustling down the right and pulling a shot just wide of the far post, but it wasn't an enormous surprise when Croydon took the lead in the 47th minute. As the home side broke through, Parky doggedly got back to block them but the ball squirmed out for the striker to lob a strange little shot over Millie Mac from three yards. 

For the third time in three weeks, Teddington found themselves behind – and for the third time in three weeks, they responded resiliently, if still somewhat haphazardly. When their pressure forced a 52nd-minute corner, Emily took it and watched it roll along the bar; a minute later, Sinead burst through and fired wide of the far post. 

Then in the 58th minute came the most eyebrow-raising moment of the game, and indeed any other that this correspondent has seen in 20 years of covering football for a living. Straining to take a long throw within her own half, Jelly may well have stolen a yard or two, but the game continued; Sinead battled for the ball and fed Emily, who burst through on goal and hammered home the equaliser… except it wasn't. 

The Croydon coaches remonstrated with the referee that the throw had been taken from the wrong position. The referee suddenly seemed to agree, but didn't restart with a retaken throw from the correct position, as should happen; instead, play restarted with the ball in the Croydon goalkeeper's hands. Cue fury on the touchline. 

Ten minutes later, Carla was fouled out on the left-wing. Jelly's fired free-kick hit the near post, bounced off the goalkeeper's back and nestled in the net. It was cruel on the net-minder, but at least it was some consolation for the disgusted visitors. Within seconds of the restart, the referee ended the match curiously early. 

Under the circumstances, Teddington did admirably to keep their thought processes in order – in the "blue head", as they learned pre-season. Theirs was very far from a good performance, but it was also far from the worst on display. 

Kids' football is not about winning and losing. But nor is it about clear bias. In the build-up to the game, Croydon had been affability personified, enthusiastic about their visitors' season so far and helpful with directions, parking advice – the little things that go so far to making the fixtures friendly and pleasant.

Sadly, that is not the memory that will abide from this game. You don't have to agree with a referee; you don't have to like him, but you do have to respect him. Respect is automatically assumed and conferred upon impartial football officials, as it should be, but in the wider world respect is hard won and easily lost. With his manner and his actions, his words and his decisions, this referee systematically destroyed that respect – and that cannot help but reflect badly on Croydon, with whom he is clearly very familiar… too familiar, considering he was cuddling some of the home players and was driven away from the game in the home manager's car.

Croydon are a good club, and it is to be hoped that the two clubs can get over this whole sorry episode. After all, the two teams must face each other at least twice more this season. Let's just hope that next time, the attention is on the players rather than the ref.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-3-3) Ella V; Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Carla Novakovic, Amy Hallett, Emily Coulson; Sinead Morris, Ale Fairn, Millie Mac. SUBS Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Sadie Day, Ruby Rudkin (unused, injured). Pics by David Theobald

Sun 19 Oct: Teddington Athletic 5-2 South Park

Becoming a better footballer isn't all about seeing how many goals you can score. Also crucial to development is overcoming adversity as a group: finding different ways to thwart your opponents while utilising all squad members.

For the second time in three weeks Teddington toughed out a hard-fought first half, learning valuable lessons about playing without the ball and covering each other within a system, before pulling away from their opponents with a second-half display of confident ability.

Despite having come all the way from Reigate, South Park were at Bushy Park nice and early, "to see the deer" as the visiting manager put it. But it was some other local wildlife that threatened early on.

As is usually the case, Athletic – buoyed by a final pre-match pilates session from sponsor Narelle, and a stringent warm-up – started the stronger. Emily Coulson released Sinead Morris down the left but the flying winger was soon met by the visiting goalkeeper, who deflected her effort wide.

From Sinead's dangerous resultant corner, Sophie Wallman could have scored her first goal for the club but chose the wrong foot to shoot with. Getting off the mark would be suitable reward for Sophie, who has shown increasing maturity in midfield: having long been happy to chase around and do her defensive duty, she is now rapidly learning the positional discipline necessary at this level.

How necessary was shown on 12 minutes when South Park's movement outwitted Teddington's defence and the visiting striker found herself eye-to-eye with callow goalkeeper Anna Kauffmann, barely six yards out. Remembering the pre-match instruction to make herself big, the Danish newcomer threw out an arm to parry the shot, then instantly recovered to smother the second shot on the rebound. These were reactions to make a Schmeichel smile: more evidence of ever-improving education.

There remains much to learn, though, and South Park were gaining the upper hand. Despite the odd bright spot – notably Emily drifting past a couple of players and sending Sadie Day chasing a diagonal to which the goalkeeper got there first, in a brave tangle of malice-free limbs – it was no real surprise when the visitors took the lead. There was much to praise in the turn and shot from the edge of the area, and no blame attached to Anna, but the defence and midfield shouldn't have allowed so much time in such a position.

This was something new: Teddington's first experience of being behind before half-time in a league game. They responded with determination, especially Ruby Rudkin, who had disappointed herself with a couple of fluffed goal-kicks before getting firmly back into blue-head mode. First, from Sinead's throw, Ruby hammered a first-time volley from well outside the area which the goalkeeper did well to save; then, after Emily had tortured the left-back with some stepovers, she collected the cross, sidestepped her opponent and whipped in another fierce shot which the goalkeeper again dealt with impressively.

For the fourth game in succession, Teddington were facing an expert glove-wearer. By the management's admission she had helped the side settle considerably since joining in the second week of the season; in each of the last three games, she had helped keep the opposition down to a single goal, allowing them to amass seven points from three games. Could Teddington find a way past her?

That question was answered emphatically after a triple half-time substitution which completely remodelled the midfield. Ella Dodd and Phoebe Head replaced Ruby and Sadie, with Amy Hallett coming on up top and Carla Novakovic dropping back in to replace Sophie. It showcased the strength of the squad and simply demolished South Park: within 13 minutes, Teddington had scored four goals, more than any opponents had managed in the full 70 minutes except champions Wimbledon in the goalkeeperless season opener.

Again, the template was set early on. Ninety seconds into the half, the fresh Phoebe tore down the right wing and crossed in to where Emily was running from deep; taking her time with the confidence of excellence, Em controlled the ball and used the outside of her right foot to stroke it precisely into the bottom-left corner.

South Park pressed to regain their lead but found themselves bossed out of it by Doddsy. Striding out of defence after breaking up an attack, she calmly sent Phoebe away down the right again; streaking past the left-back on the outside then switching inside, Pheebs used the forward runs of Sinead and Amy as a decoy and drilled through the goalkeeper's legs to put Teddington in front. It had taken six minutes to come from behind.

Still South Park pressed, with two shots in three minutes saved somewhat unorthodoxly by the increasingly confident Anna. She's growing into the job and starting to enjoy herself between the sticks; obviously she needs more practice, but she's lucky enough to have a goalframe in her grassed back garden and a father who's very keen to help. A half-term of muddy elbows may await…

Having retained their lead through Anna's saves, Teddington extended it through their top scorer. Sent fizzing through yet again, Sinead was not to be denied again by her begloved nemesis, lashing an unstoppable first-timer into the top-left corner for 3-1.

And within three minutes it was 4-1 with a beautiful goal which seemed to happen in slow motion: the cleared cross falling with such inevitability to Emily's perfectly executed left-foot volley that one rather hairy Teddington coach was heard to shout "Wallop!". Sorry, South Park, no mischief intended, just enjoyment of a superbly taken goal.

A minute later, Emily almost sealed a hat-trick of rare distinction. Receiving possession from a throw-in two yards from the goal-line, the No.99 lobbed the goalkeeper and watched the ball hit the far post and roll along the line.

When the fifth goal did arrive it was somewhat scrappier but very welcome indeed. Cutting in from the left, Sinead expertly and selflessly spread the ball along the edge of the box to Phoebe, whose shot hit the bar; following up like a good centre-forward should, Amy hit the post with her first effort but forced home the rebound. It was the diminutive but determined forward's first goal since before Christmas, and well earned as Amy seeks to establish herself against girls who are often much bigger than her.

5-1 up with 15 minutes to go, that should have been more or less job done, but as the coaching staff discussed which players should be put in new positions to extend their education, South Park were allowed to get close enough to fire a shot inside Anna's right-hand post from the edge of the area.

That lent the closing stages more of an edge, but there was still time for Sophie to get some more minutes on the pitch as the "defensive" midfielder – allowing Doddsy to rampage forward – and Ruby to extend her palette by playing as one of the two defenders.

It's all part of the continuing campaign to improve all members of the squad as much as possible, while enjoying themselves and winning. With Teddington in third and only two points off the summit, it doesn't seem to be going too badly so far.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-3-3): Anna Kauffmann; Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Ruby Rudkin, Sophie Wallman, Emily Coulson (2); Sadie Day, Carla Novakovic, Sinead Morris (1). SUBS Ella Dodd, Phoebe Head (1), Amy Hallett (1). 
Pics this week by David Theobald - ta!

Sun 12 Oct: Teddington Athletic 2-3 AFC Wimbledon

There is no shame in honourable defeat. Teddington tore into the terrified league champions, displaying the best of their attacking style, before bowing out with sportsmanlike behaviour, pride in their performance and hope in their hearts.

It's no exaggeration to say that Teddington could have scored five goals in the first 15 minutes: feel free to count along. They took the lead in the third after Sinead Morris feinted and zoomed pasted her defender; her shot was very well blocked by the goalkeeper, but although Ale Fairn couldn't quite turn in the rebound Phoebe Head was free to lash it into the roof of the net. 

Wimbledon immediately told their right midfielder to double up on Sinead – "That's the girl I was on about," said one coach to another – but it had no immediate effect. Despite playing through an illness, Sinead promptly burst through again and almost doubled the lead, prompting the visitors to substitute their right-back and replace her with their speedy striker. 

Still Teddington pressed, again through Sinead. The flying winger has come on leaps in bounds over the past year, and is now easily intelligent enough to know that if she's being double-marked, that creates space for others: accordingly, she sent a clever through-ball towards Ale, but the goalkeeper got there first and although it bounced out to Phoebe, her centre found Ale offside. 

It was a roaring start but Teddington must continue to learn and improve, especially at the back. It's a process that's already started but there's work to do yet. In the 11th minute, a Wimbledon break down the left attracted too many ball-watching defenders, inevitably producing a cross – although there was certainly an element of fortune about the way that cross found its way into the bottom corner of new goalkeeper Anna Kauffmann's net. It was Wimbledon's first shot of note, if indeed it was a shot, but it serves as a strong reminder that Teddington are now facing very good teams. 

Facing them and matching them, with options to spare, as their next two chances showed. A minute after being pegged back, Ella Dodd sent Phoebe haring down the right, and her first-time cross was met first-time by Ale on the run but deflected wide. Shortly after, a raking throw-in from Ella V – clearly relishing the battle – sent Doddsy through on goal; although the midfielder could arguably have shot, her clever attempted square ball for Sinead was well cleared for a corner. Two minutes after that, Phoebe battled for the ball in midfield, won it and tore past her left-back. Running through on goal with Sinead screaming in from the left and Ale bursting through the middle, Phoebe instead tried a delicate chip that almost came off. 

Some might say, with the benefit of hindsight, that those last two decisions were mistakes; instead, let's celebrate the fact that each attack brought options, carefully assessed and intelligently executed. After 15 fabulous minutes, Teddington had created half a dozen clear chances against the reigning champions, most of which had only been frustrated by excellent goalkeeping. 

The pace slackened a little toward half-time as Wimbledon started to gain toeholds, but Teddington still had chances, with the best two falling to Emily Coulson. Having last season floated behind the front three in a fairly free trequartista role, Emily has adapted very well to the harder demands of the top flight, and worked hard for her team-mates in the new midfield triangle – but increased responsibility it doesn't quash her creativity. 

Plucking a 17th-minute clearance from the air on the right-wing touchline, Emily beat the beleaguered left-back and then, with the outside of her right foot, screwed in a shot that a rather desperate defender cleared against her own post. And on the half-hour, with Teddington getting back on top after a period of end-to-end football, she retrieved the ball in midfield, cleverly turned toward goal, worked her way to the edge of the box and fired in a left-foot shot that that goalkeeper again did well to get down and push wide. 

If the first half was all-action, the second was fractious as a series of refereeing decisions – and it has to be said, the reaction to them – threatened to overshadow the fine football on display. Eight minutes in, with Wimbledon in the ascendancy, Teddington broke down the right; the linesman flagged Sinead offside but was correctly overruled – the left-winger wasn't involved in the play – and Phoebe's shot was well saved.

A minute later, a ferocious shot from the edge of the Teddington box was very well parried by Anna and her defenders got back to clear, but Wimbledon were obviously gearing up and they soon had the ball in the net… to no avail. Breaking down the right, Wimbledon crossed to the unmarked central striker who tucked it tidily away; but after consultation with the linesman, the referee ruled the goal out, decreeing that the finisher was in front of the pass. It was an arguable call and boy did AFC Wimbledon argue about it, with the clearly rattled striker in tearful disbelief and the coaching staff seeking clarification from the referee.

The arguments lent the game a harder edge, and after a first half filled with attacking brio, Teddington spent much of the second demonstrating their newfound resilience in defence. Once again Saskia Brewster and Millie Theobald were magnificent in defence, diligently following their opponents and, having dispossessed them, looking to use possession as intelligently as possible. In front of them, Jelly was a force of nature, organising her team-mates and switching from side to side as occasion demanded, while Doddsy and Emily continued to put in the hard yards in midfield.

They needed to: Wimbledon aren't champions for nothing and were starting to get on top. After 16 minutes of the second half, the visitors broke through on goal but Anna snaked out a foot to poke it wide. Teddington were tiring but sticking to their tasks, with substitutes starting to roll on for the injured – Sadie Day coming on when Phoebe got a knock to the shin, Ella Parkinson-Mearns standing in when the steadfast Saskia took a full-forced shot straight in the face, Carla Novakovic replacing the exhausted Ale, and Ruby Rudkin emerging late on for Jelly. 

Teddington's captain for the day (and ever the most vocal presence), Jelly had been visibly rattled by events in the final 10 minutes. Going into a tackle on Wimbledon's towering No.7 with more purpose than panache, Jelly was distraught to give away a free-kick – and it got worse when the shot was fired in and, despite Anna's fine parry, attackers got to the rebound first to finally put the league champions in front. 

Three minutes later they extended their lead from a corner Teddington literally gave to them. A strong Wimbledon shot was heading for the bar when Anna nimbly tipped it over; the ref gave a goal-kick but the home side, after asking Anna honestly if she'd touched it, voluntarily overruled him. From the resultant corner, Wimbledon turned home their third to seal victory.

Not that Teddington gave up without a fight. Emily once again broke through and once again saw her shot well saved by the visiting goalkeeper – a Wimbledon newcomer who apparently doesn't train with the team, being based in Reading, but how glad they must be to see her turn up on a Sunday.

Even she was powerless to prevent Sinead getting a last-minute goal, thoroughly deserved on a personal level and giving the scoreline a much less inaccurate look. As victorious visitor Ahmed reported after the game, "A lot of the parents were saying how good a game it was, and how your team is so much stronger since we last played you. Good work and see you soon." They certainly will: Wimbledon are back at Bushy Park at the end of next month.

The top-flight newbies will have learned an awful lot from this game, but let's be fair: they already know a lot. They play football with an attacking élan and love of the game lacking in many contemporaries. The aim is to win, but the overriding ambition is to have fun while learning transferable skills. These girls are learning ball control, passing and movement infinitely preferable to muscling and moaning. Long may it continue, in sparkling victory or honourable defeat. 

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-3-3): Anna Kauffmann; Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Ella V, Ella Dodd, Emily Coulson; Phoebe Head (1), Ale Fairn, Sinead Morris (1). Subs: Sadie Day, Carla Novakovic, Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Ruby Rudkin.

Thanks again to Jan Kauffmann for the pics: there's more after the table.

Sun 5 Oct: Fleet Town 0-2 Teddington Athletic

Fascinating division, the top flight of the Surrey County Women & Girls U13s League. As Teddington Athletic find their way around on their maiden top-flight voyage, they are encountering a variety of playing styles and attitudes. They're also clocking up the motorway miles – the last two trips have been to Kent (for Crystal Palace) and Hampshire, for Fleet Town.

Nestled in a sun-dappled valley, Fleet's Basingbourne Park ground was a pleasant place to play on what may be the last mild day before autumn arrives angrily. And it hosted a fascinating clash between two teams who won their divisions last year but are settling into the top tier very differently.

Fleet waltzed past Division One last term, collecting 50pts from a possible 54 in an unbeaten season, but they haven't yet displayed such good form at the higher level, with an opening draw against Croydon followed by successive losses to AFC Wimbledon and South Park. Teddington's six points from nine represents a stronger return but they are still very much learning as they go along, and they are facing some contrasting styles.

Whereas last week's loss at Palace was a game between two short-passing teams aiming to get the ball wide, Fleet utilise a more direct game predicated on picking out their tallest and fastest players. Their coaches' constant exhortations to "get rid of it", "hit [player X]" and "flick on" left no doubt as to their game-plan.

Teddington have some of the fastest players in the league, and plenty capable of giving it the big clonk forward. But building a school-age team around strength and speed is short-termism, elevating athleticism above skill to gain an advantage which is ever likely to be erased by the players' different rates of physical growth. That centre-forward who bullies her way through one season may find herself in the shortest in the league 18 months later, and if she can't pass the ball she's effectively finished.

Which is not to say that Fleet are one-dimensional or short-termist, but certainly Teddington are trying to build for a sustainable future, including at 11-a-side from next season. Hence the 16-girl squad, many of whom in today's matchday 13 aren't exactly giants.

But what the smaller players lack in stature they make up for in diligence and no little skill. Ale Fairn is towered over by most defenders, but her constant inventive runs make them long for a lower centre of gravity. Making her first appearance of the season after a foot problem, right-winger Amy Hallett worried the Fleet left-back throughout the first half. Tucked in alongside her, Sophie Wallman showed typical tenacity but also increasing intelligence in both tactical awareness and ball distribution.

At the back, Ella Parkinson-Mearns started alongside Saskia Brewster but Parky's niggling stomach injury meant Sas was soon reunited with regular partner Millie Theobald; Parky would return in the second half to solidify the midfield.

In between the two defenders, just behind the midfield, Ella Dodd again sacrificed her attacking ambitions to thwart the opposition – particularly important on this occasion given Fleet's reliance on height.

On the left, Millie MacEacharn filled in for absent top-scorer Sinead Morris with typical quiet determination, at one point surprising herself with a mid-air stepover before firing a dangerous ball along the six-yard line that Ale was desperately unlucky not to connect with.

Just inside Millie Mac was the indefatigable and increasingly impressive Carla Novakovic – one of Teddington's tiny terrors who show no fear against bigger foes.

During a hard-fought first half, Teddington held firm against Fleet attacks while also making ever more ominous in-roads into the home defence. At the break, Anna Kauffmann – who had started in midfield before withdrawing again due to that worrying breathing difficulty – happily donned her FC København goalkeeper jersey and replaced Ella V between the sticks.

Five minutes into the second half, Dave W made a quadruple substitution which displayed Teddington's strength in depth – and won them the match. Jelly came into defensive midfield, bolstering the back two and snuffing out any danger while allowing Doddsy to roam further forward. And while Parky added further midfield insurance, two new wingers in Sadie Day and Phoebe Head proceeded to run Fleet ragged.

When Teddington's wingers terrify full-backs, they're often relieved to get a foot in and nick it out for a throw-in... until they realise this means Jelly can launch that throw into the box, where Athletic will have several players capable of scoring from it.

And so it proved 11 minutes into the second period: Jelly's launch from the left, almost turned in at the near post by Phoebe, was partially cleared to Doddsy who calmly slotted it into the bottom-left corner for her third of the season – not bad at all considering that she has spent half of her three games this season being defensively diligent for the team's greater good.

Forced to throw more players forward, Fleet found themselves left open to lightning counter-attacks. While Sadie ranged down the right, Phoebe's left-wing station made it easier for her to cut in and shoot, and a minute after being denied by the goalkeeper she confidently side-footed home her 29th goal for the club.

From there on in, it was arguably only a question of how many. Fleet didn't fold, and forced a few corners, but over the course of the match neither Jelly nor Anna really had a save to make. Up the other end, Fleet's goalkeeper was much busier, denying Teddington's breakers on a number of occasions.  

Doddsy thoroughly enjoyed her newfound freedom to get forward, meeting Jelly's throw at the near post with a well-executed volley which the goalkeeper did well to push round the post. A few minutes later, Doddsy powered through the inside-right channel; noting the supporting runs from Phoebe and second-half centre-forward Carla, she chose exactly the right moment to lay the ball across – only for neither team-mate to quite make the desired connection.

In the end, Teddington scored just the two goals, but it was easily enough because they kept their first clean sheet of the season. It's a testament to their increasing organisation and teamwork, and it will certainly be needed next week when they go to champions AFC Wimbledon, who have won their three league games this season with a 17-1 goal difference.

Teddington face Wimbledon not as plucky cup underdogs but as hard-earned equals, with nine points apiece in the bag. True, Teddington lost at league leaders Palace, but not by much, and fully deserved the opposing manager's kind words that they "belong in this division".

The title favourites seem to be Wimbledon and Palace, but today the latter only just squeaked past fast-improving Abbey Rangers. Meanwhile last season's runners-up Croydon were beaten at home by last season's wooden-spooners South Park. It's shaping up to be a fascinating season in a very interesting league.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (2-3-3): Ella V; Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Saskia Brewster; Anna Kauffmann, Ella Dodd (1), Carla Novakovic; Amy Hallett, Ale Fairn, Millie MacEacharn. Subs: Millie Theobald, Sophie Wallman, Sadie Day, Phoebe Head (1).

Thanks again to David Theobald and Jan Kauffmann for the photos.