Sometimes, the fear of something can be worse than the thing itself. All you can do is prepare calmly, to the best of your abilities, and face what happens with determination.
So it was for Teddington Athletic in this Capital Cup Quarter-Final. A weather front sweeping in from the west overnight was forecast to bring snow and sleet, while little was known about the visitors arriving from Uxbridge, except that they play in the Hertfordshire League with Tottenham and Watford, as representatives of southern England's largest all-female football club with teams ranging from U9s to seniors. Would Teddington get blown away?
Be calm and prepare. The kick-off was set for slightly later at 10.30am, in case the pitch needed to thaw, and an inspection planned for 8.30am. Without a specific tactical plan for their unknown opponents, the team simply went about their training and stuck to their normal game.
And in the end, there was nothing to fear, from the west or the north. Pre-match precipitation was minimal, and under clearing skies, Teddington tore into their opponents in typical style: getting the ball down, spreading it wide, terrifying full-backs and creating chances.
Sinead Morris led the charge. In the second minute she beat the right-back for pace and created an almighty scramble in which three or four Teddington efforts were just about repelled: centre-forward Amy Hallett hit the post, Sinead tested the goalkeeper with the rebound and when the ball was half-cleared to the edge of the area, Carla Novakovic sent in a controlled shot that required a smart save.
A minute later, Teddington switched wings as Phoebe Head raced down the right, laying in a dangerous cross which Amy, showing her returning confidence after a stop-start 2014, expertly steered just wide of the near post.
Denham held out until the seventh minute, and although the opening goal had a touch of fortune about it, it was hardly contradictory to the flow of the game. High on the left flank, Saskia Brewster threw in to Ella Dodd, taking up an intelligent wide position in space and flicking the ball over the defender's head to force a corner. Sinead fired the flag-kick across the near post, where it was helped into the goal by a defender desperately trying to clear before it reached the lurking attackers.
Within two minutes, Denham almost levelled the score with an equally bizarre sequence of events. Their patent approach play down the right seemed to have petered out when the cross rolled harmlessly along the dead-ball line, but Ella V – once again patiently deputising in goal in the continuing absence of alternatives – casually turned inside and was immediately dispossessed by an attacker, whose shot rolled agonisingly wide of the far post. Goalkeeper and manager exchanged frank opinions.
Teddington pressed on and doubled their lead on 19 minutes. Emily Coulson, again patrolling the pocket behind the striker, sent Phoebe down the wing to cross for Amy to confidently tuck home at the near post.
Five minutes later the home side scored the goal of the game. Carla took a quick throw high on the left wing to Doddsy, who held it up and returned to sender. Carla's immediate left-foot cross found Phoebe arriving at the back stick, and when her first-time shot across the goalkeeper hit the near post, Sinead got to it first and leathered it high into the goal.
By now the subs were jockeying to get on but Teddington weren't in the mood for letting the ball go dead, and another foray down the left wing ended with Doddsy powering in a shot from the edge of the box for 4-0.
Now the changes could be made, although they represented no slight on the withdrawn players: this was rotation rather than rejection. Ella Parkinson-Mearns replaced Millie Theobald at the back; giving Doddsy a rest injected Sophie Wallman's energy into midfield; and Denham were initially glad to see Sinead sitting sipping Ribena until Millie MacEacharn started running at them too.
The half-time team-talk might have been boiled down to "That was good, do it again." After the break Denham pressed on but Teddington dealt with it. When they broke through the middle, Parky stuck doggedly with her opponent all the way to the edge of the box, forcing her to play sideways where Sas deflected the shot wide: good defending. And from that corner, Jelly rolled the ball out for Phoebe to run all the way to the edge of the other box before finding Amy to threaten again.
But as Denham pushed forward, they left gaps Teddington were keen to exploit. Nine minutes after the restart, Emily was sent through and calmly finished into the bottom corner. She was probably offside – as the rueful (visiting) linesman admitted to his ribbing team manager, "I was miles behind the play" – but Em played to the whistle and made it 5-0.
At that, it was time for further rotation, with the three girls withdrawn in the first half returning and the minutes being shared around as equally as possible. Millie T came on for Sas and formed a new defensive duo with Parky, which might come in handy if Sas is injured – or played further forward, for which she is showing an increasing aptitude in training and matches. On the right, Phoebe was replaced by a somewhat reluctant Sinead, who prefers the left flank but should get some experience on the other side considering her right foot is easily the stronger of the two she possesses.
Up top, replacing Amy, came Doddsy as an altogether different type of centre-forward – and when Jelly punted a clearance downfield, Doddsy used her strength to outmuscle the centre-back and calmly finish for 6-0 – repeating the trick a few minutes later with a pleasingly accurate finish into the bottom bin and in off the far post.
Ever seen a Jelly itch? The stand-in goalkeeper's increasingly loud appeals to be released from her benetted prison were finally heard with 10 minutes to go, Sas returning to (eventually) don the gloves and Jelly replacing Emily in midfield. Predictably everywhere thereafter, Jelly created the final goal by dominating the centre-circle and nodding the ball forward for Doddsy to get her fourth and her team's eighth.
That score means Teddington topped the seven they got in the Surrey Cup Quarter-Final at Molesey before Christmas, and they march confidently into their second semi-final. With all due respect to Denham United – a well-run club with very affable management and supporters, and players aiming to play football the right way – tougher tasks lie ahead.
Having been paired in the Surrey semi with Crystal Palace Blues, miles clear atop Surrey League Division One, they will now face Charlton Athletic in the Capital Cup semis. Those ties will take place in mid-February, either side of half-term – but first comes more opposition affiliated to Football League clubs, with league leaders AFC Wimbledon the next opponents. These girls are mixing in exalted company, and proving they deserve to do so.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ella V; Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Carla Novakovic, Ella Dodd (4); Phoebe Head, Emile Coulson (1), Sinead Morris (2); Amy Hallett (1). Subs: Ella Parkinson-Mearns, Sophie Wallman, Millie MacEacharn.
Thanks as usual to David Theobald for the photos.
