Bondy's notes from Palace

Unbeaten in four, we’ve ended part 1 of this season very strong. We can see the improvements in what is already a very good team. We are always a team that will score goals; with hard work from the players and coaches, we have become a team that’s hard to beat due to how organised and strong we are in defence and off the ball.

With big games when we’re back it's going to be extremely important to start as we finished. In football there are no easy games, but we can make it easier via training, then putting the information and preparation into practice. Football matches aren't won on the pitch, they’re won in training. How you train is how you play, so we train hard and play hard – and I am confident that will continue when we resume in January.

Thank you for all the Christmas cards and presents and thank you for all your hard work. I hope your Christmas is as special as you all are.

— Bondy

Sun 18 Dec: Crystal Palace (H) W 6-3

A curious end to a memorable 2016. To borrow David Theobald’s twisted cliché, this was a game of three halves; Teddington shuffled into a three-goal lead, calamitously collapsed to gift their visitors a three-goal comeback, then showed their class with another three-goal salvo to win the match.

Crystal Palace’s lovely manager Matt deserves better than his constant struggle to scrape together players: only 10 arrived in Teddington, although he and his coach imbued in them a commendable will to win. With a 14-girl squad to choose from (Giulia and Sadie being unavailable), the hosts made four changes from the epic Cup win over Fleet: Amy Hallett started in deep midfield for Liz Kriebel (rotated to the bench for the first time in an impressive season), with Ella Dodd also rested as last week’s goalscorer Ale Fairn kept her place up top. Millie MacEacharn started on the left with Emily Coulson switching inside to replace Giulia, while Emily Bashford’s slight cold had her rested to the bench for Ella Bothamley, who was also a little under the weather but didn’t tell her coaches, much to their chagrin.

It took just seven minutes for Teddington to break the deadlock, when Amy calmly intercepted and rolled a through-ball for Emily to finish. But the home side weren’t quite at the races: Saskia Brewster had to dig back and stop a threat from Palace’s dangerous right-winger, just two minutes after Anna Kauffmann had done a similar rescue job down the other flank.

On 16 minutes the lead was doubled when Emily spread wide to Macca, whose ball was met first-time in the D by Boz’s left foot. Macca was having a decent game high on the left, linking well with her team-mates, so it was doubly a shame that she had to relocate to left-back when Saskia succumbed to an injury on the arch of her foot in the 24th minute.

The switch demonstrated the squad’s flexibility – Macca willingly dropped to left-back, immediately crashing into a tackle; Emily went into her regular wide-left position and Liz came on at No.10, a position she hasn’t played this season but was very happy to try, although she later acknowledged that “Giulia’s position is haaaard, man – so much running!”. The reshuffle also gave Teddington a back four of Millie, Millie, Hannah and Anna, which might be a recipe for confusion without clear communication.

With linesman Andy Kriebel’s flagging “dabs” and a subs’ bench treating us, if that’s the verb, to choral renditions of festive favourites including Jingle Bell Rock, the feel was more festive than focused – although Ruby Rudkin was certainly in the wide-awake club on the half-hour with two saves in a minute, firstly with her hands to scoop that right-winger’s shot wide for a corner, then from that set-piece saving a six-yard snapshot with her feet.

On came Bash for the somewhat under-pat Boz, immediately frightening her left-back and forcing a save from the goalkeeper, but it was from the other side that Teddington made it 3-0 three minutes before the oranges.

The home side had been encouraged to test the goalkeeper by shooting early, and although some players occasionally misunderstood this with attempts from distance having beaten the offside trap, Emily eventually provided the perfect example. Her layoff to Ale was rewarded with a sumptuously cushioned lay-off back to her, sitting up and demanding to be hit first-time – and Em did just that, arrowing it inside the near-post from the inside-left channel before the keeper had a chance to react.

At half-time the ailing Amy was rested off, with Liz dropping back in and Doddsy playing behind Ale, but a three-goal lead didn’t spare the girls some calmly delivered suggestions for improvement. But Palace were the team who got better, and how. Three minutes into the second half, the right-winger scorched past Macca and her cross was turned in confidently at the near post; three minutes later, the winger cut out the middle-man and simply cut inside to lash past Ruby for 3-2.

Changes were needed and Amy’s rest period was cut short after just five minutes. She returned to deep midfield with Carla replacing Macca at left-back, while Ale made way for Boz – another reshuffle sending Emily inside behind Doddsy, Boz going wide left to keep Bash terrorising her left-back.

The changes settled Teddington, who started to carry more threat going forward, exemplified when they Em spread the play left Boz to cross left-footed – Bash tore in at the back post and hit it gorgeously first-time, but just wide.

Such promise up top was nullified a minute before the hour by a lapse at the back as the Palace forward on the edge of the box was allowed to turn and shoot past Ruby. Inside 15 minutes the home side had gone from 3-0 up to level against a 10-man side at the bottom of the league who had lost every game this season. The small crowd of visiting parents were understandably exultant, but how would Teddington react?

It’s a pleasure to report that they didn’t fold, but knuckled down and concentrated on doing the next thing right. The defence notably tightened up, exemplified when Hannah Hutchison flew across to the corner of the area to contest a loose ball with the centre-forward. The centre-back’s strong shoulder-charge sent her flying and the visitors claiming for a penalty, but the ball was in playing distance, the shoulder-charge legal and the claims ignored.

Up front, Teddington continued to create and learn. When Doddsy was sent through her shot was too close to the goalkeeper’s foot, a mistake she noted and later rectified. But when the home side did retake the lead, in the 67th minute, the goal came from a different source.

Sniffing goals with Teddington pinning the visitors in, Boz had shifted into an inside-left position. Spying the space outside her, Emily cleverly drifted to the left flank, allowing Amy and Liz to recycle wide to her, shifting defenders across. Em quickly found Boz, who tricked inside her marker and shot across the goalkeeper. It hit the far post, bouncing straight out to Bash, who had diligently followed in; instinctively sticking out her left foot, she diverted the ball past the goalkeeper and slowly but deliciously over the line. Deliriously celebrated with what must have seemed to Palace like aggression but was in truth sheer happiness for one of Teddington’s most popular and hard-working players, it was Bash’s second goal in 24 games, and – after Ale’s crucial goal at Fleet last week – the second time in successive games that a valued squad member has enjoyed a hugely welcome return to the goals column.

Four minutes later, 4-3 became 5-3. Set up by Amy’s muscular intervention and superbly-weighted lay-off, Em danced past the two centre-backs and calmly slotted home. Her tenth goal of the season completed her second hat-trick of 2016 – she bagged one in the March mullering of Abbey Rangers. (She’s also claimed the metaphorical match-ball against Caterham Pumas, Colne Valley (4) and Molesey Juniors (5)). Talented on the ball and committed without it, Emily is flourishing in a variety of forward roles and getting the rewards her talent deserves.

Also among the goals this season is Doddsy, and she didn’t miss twice. Sent through with two minutes to go, she ran from the halfway line and took just two touches to end the match. First she chested the bouncing ball in front of her, then from the edge of the box she larruped it past a helpless goalkeeper for her eighth of the season. Like Emily, she is already well past last season’s goal return and more than halfway to beating her haul from two seasons ago. Boz is also more than halfway past her total from last season, while Bash has already matched her personal best...

A word, too, for the back four (or six). The coaches all know from personal experience that a defender’s lot is a tough one, rarely examined except in criticism, and the Teddington defence will surely admit that this was not their finest day. But when things went badly, they dug in and shored up. Let it not go unnoticed that Doddsy’s game-ending goal was created by a through-ball from Coffee, winning a 50/50 challenge that left her flattened on the floor, picking herself up in time to join in the celebrations.

Such determination is a good part of the reason that Teddington have now gone four games unbeaten – and as they haven’t gone five undefeated since late 2014, that’s evidence of a growing self-belief. Consistency would be nice – this is still a squad capable of matching Wimbledon yet capitulating by conceding three goals in 15 minutes to a 10-girl team at the bottom of the league – but they are regularly finding ways to get results.

That would be a useful knack to carry into a January fixture list involving league games against Fleet and Abbey (their rivals in a three-team mini-league competing for third place behind leading duo Wimbledon and Maidenhead) plus a mouth-watering Surrey Cup semi-final against Abbey again. If they play to their capacity, Teddington are capable of winning them all and setting up a very pleasant 2017.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Hannah Hutchison, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Carla Novakovic, Ella Bothamley (1), Emily Coulson (3), Millie MacEacharn, Ale Fairn. Subs Ella Dodd (1), Emily Bashford (1), Liz Kriebel.

Thanks to David T for the pictures.

Bondy's (very) post-match message: Fleet

Apologies for delayed message; I know how much you look forward to reading Bondy's Post Match Message.

A massive shout out to Ruby, who saved two penalties and even scored one - just goes to show what a quality goalkeeper we have in our team.

In the FA Youth Cup, playing for Ruislip Manor, it’s my turn to take a penalty… and I miss. So I know how it feels, but anyone accepting the responsibility to take a penalty for their team is brilliant. I think of the things I did in previous games and in that game, even in games after, and I think there was a lot more I did right to help the team.

Sunday was a special day, cup games have that added spice. We felt we trained extremely hard, were very organised with the preparation and information; to date, last Friday session was the best we delivered from a coaching point and the level of quality in training from the players.

We can see things starting to take shape in defence and attack. Naturally we have quality in abundance: going forward, we look like we’re going to score every time. What has improved, being our main focus in training, has been working without the ball: in recent games, the decrease in shots Ruby has to save is down to how organised and strong we are off the ball.

We have a team now that has quality with ball and will work hard to win it back and will do anything to keep the ball out of our goal. We have quality all over the pitch, 16 girls who are playing fantastic attacking and defending football. We now turn our attention to Sunday’s match: no game is ever easy but we go in full of confidence.

– Bondy

Sun 11 Dec: Fleet Town (A) W 5-4 (pens, 2-2 aet) Surrey Lge Cup QF

To Hampshire on a bright autumnal morning which would turn into a first for Teddington: the drama of a penalty shootout, mere hours after Seattle Sounders became MLS champions via the same route. Not to Hampshire, obviously.

The original quarter-final the previous week had been iced off, which allowed Teddington to recall Ruby Rudkin. The goalkeeper had been unavailable for the original date, and might also have missed the rematch – she hurt her back and had troubles sorting a lift – but Teddington would be glad she made it.

The visiting squad was depleted by the absences of Ella Bothamley, Millie MacEacharn and Sadie Day but that merely meant an opportunity for Emily Bashford to start – and back at the pitch where she scored her first Teddington goal, in last season’s 3-2 win, she almost bagged again. Twice in the first two minutes she tested the Fleet goalkeeper, and on each occasion she had fashioned the chance through skilfully turning her defender and breaking through before her low shot was snaffled.

Fleet retaliated with threat from their own swift wide player, the No.11 who habitually drifts in from the left: in the third minute she raced cleared of Millie Theobald to shoot just wide.

A minute later a ball over the top required the combined efforts of Millie, Hannah Hutchison and Saskia Brewster to avert the danger. If that served as a warning, it didn’t work and on five minutes Teddington went behind when Fleet outmuscled the defence.

The visitors almost hit back immediately via a move of commendable teamwork. Winning the ball in midfield, Emily Coulson laid off for Giulia Clini and got on her bike. Giulia played it forward to Ella Dodd, who pulled out a lovely piece of forward play by holding off her defender on the edge of the box and laying an intelligent ball around the corner for Emily to retrieve. Em’s clipped shot was pushed wide for a corner which Liz Kriebel fizzed across an unattended six-yard box.

With Fleet as robust and organised as ever, it took a while for Teddington to get a hold of the game and break them down. When they made headway, it was again through footballing intelligence and teamwork, with lessons learned in training paying off in the match.

In recent sessions the girls have been working on overlaps, with Saskia and her fellow full-back Anna Kauffmann encouraged use their pace and skill in more advanced positions. Anna had her hands full with the No.11, but Sas spied a chance and in the 21st minute, knowing she was diligently covered by captain Carla Novakovic filling in, she burst forward and just kept going, eventually hitting the bye-line and pulling back a dangerous cross which the goalkeeper had to deal with.

Two minutes later Sas was involved again, linking with Em to feed Liz, who dragged back with her right foot to shoot just wide with her left from 25 yards. This creativity was combined with a dogged determination to get the ball in the first place – no easy task with Fleet – and it was this mix of hard work and good play that brought Teddington level in the 27th minute.

Generally floating around seeking the spaces between midfield and attack doesn’t preclude Giulia from digging in and working hard when Teddington are out of possession. Here the new girl had her best game yet, and her hard work helped create the leveller. Having won the ball Giulia had the vision to spread wide to Em, whose cross was parried by the goalkeeper but Doddsy pounced on the rebound and levelled from 12 yards. It was her seventh of the season, taking her halfway to the 14 she managed in 2014/15 ago before more frequently being used further back last term.

Sadly, having worked so hard to regain parity, Teddington threw it away a minute later through the contemptuously familiar weakness of allowing a header at a corner – but to their credit, they plugged away and might have equalised four times in the 35th minute alone. First Liz unleashed a long-ranger which the goalkeeper did well to push wide. From the corner, Giulia bulleted a header which was zooming into the top corner before the keeper astonishingly shovelled it onto the bar; even then, Teddington were first to the second ball (which Emily fired into a covering defender) and the third ball (which Carla shot just wide).

A strong first half required little tactical tweaking at the break, although Doddsy and Bash were rested off for Ale Fairn and Amy Hallett. Again the latter, Teddington’s youngest but perhaps most tactically flexible player, was used in the wide-right attacking position she frequently occupied during the team’s first season – but she was also on standby to replace Millie T in the heart of defence should the stalwart centre-back succumb to the inflamed throat that had been bothering her all week. In the end she would feature in at three different positions during the course of a single half, and acquit herself well in each. Such is the type of player Teddington tend to breed.

Indeed Amy’s pace and quiet fearlessness tested Fleet early on, but the best move came down the other flank and involved half the team. Ruby’s sidefooted goal-kick to Millie T was worked via Sas and Carla to Em, who sent Ale scampering through. The defence won that battle but Ale would not give up.

Soon enough, Teddington threatened down the right. Coffee laid on for Amy to find Giulia, whose clever clip almost sent Em through – the defender couldn’t prevent the shot but put her under enough pressure to lift her shot just over from the edge of the box.

As Teddington pressed, they more frequently made inroads into the area. Just after the hour, one challenge left Ale on the floor; coach Bondy was incensed but the referee explained that he felt the striker had gone over the defender’s leg.

Fleet were far from finished, and might have doubled their lead with 11 minutes to go but for a vital interception. When Teddington’s usually effective, homer-infuriating offside trap failed for once, Millie T dug back, didn’t give the striker a moment’s peace and eventually snuffled the ball away.

Still, with Teddington 10 minutes from exiting the cup, it was time to risk a little defensive solidity by throwing more players forward. Substituting the position rather than the player, the management staff – after long discussions around the various options afforded by their flexible players – withdrew the blameless Coffee for the pace of the reintroduced Bash to push Fleet backwards.

Amy temporarily dropped into a floating right-sided midfield role, her head on casters as she kept checking for any danger in the hole behind her, and four minutes later she was on the move again as Teddington played their last card. Doddsy raced back on up top, to replace one of the deeper midfielders. It might have been Liz, who had run herself ragged (Carla, as usual, looked like she was perfectly capable of jogging home if need be), but at the last moment the decision was taken to keep the American on the pitch for her ability to deliver into the box, especially from dead balls.

Later that evening on MotD2, gormless apologist Phil Neville would claim that it’s usually difficult for players to switch positions during the game. Evidently his Manchester United and England colleagues aren’t as intelligent as Teddington’s players. With Dave Waldron windmilling his arms and relaying instructions to his ever-ready troops, the visitors slipped into your everyday common-or-garden 3-1-3-3 formation: Amy dropped back alongside Millie and Sas; Hutch patrolled the area in front to pick up and recycle clearances; Liz switched to the right wing in a creative trident with Giulia and Em; and up top, Doddsy offered a physical presence to embellish Bash’s pace and Ale’s natural ability.

And indeed it was Ale who levelled the scores with five minutes to go. Loving the freedom of her wider role, Liz lifted the ball into the area and Ale calmly lofted the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper. A difficult shot executed with stunning calmness, it belied – and hopefully banished – the 13 months of anguish in which Ale has celebrated just one goal and suffered multiple injury knocks. At her best, Ale has the natural instincts to score against any team; despite her troubles she has remained upbeat and her recent training performances have given her (and her coaches) the confidence that the good times will return.

First, though, there was the business of finishing this game. With Abbey Rangers waiting in the semi-finals, there had to be a winner on the day – and before kick-off the two teams’ coaches had agreed to go straight to penalties.

Teddington’s coaches had elected not to burden their players with this worry until necessary; as Ruby’s cry of “Oh no!” echoed round Oakley Park, the assistant manager rushed across the turf to remind her – out of earshot of the outfielders – that penalty shootouts rarely make goalkeepers into villains but frequently into heroes. To take two examples from her beloved Liverpool, Bruce Grobbelaar helped them become champions of Europe in 1984 and Jerzy Dudek in 2005.

Not many of the Teddington players were exactly sprinting up to put their names forward, but they did their jobs well. Liz planted the first one firmly past the goalkeeper’s right hand; Fleet equalised.

Doddsy confidently followed Liz’s lead...

...then Ruby saved Fleet’s effort to put the visitors ahead after two penalties each.

Emily ignored the home-parent half-wit who confidently proclaimed “This one’s going wide” by putting Teddington 3-1 up, but Fleet scored to keep themselves in the game.

Up stepped Hutch, who sent her shot toward the top-left corner but just wide. She didn’t deserve that: few players are as diligent and responsible as the newcomer, whose entire weekend is built around playing (and coaching) football, and she should be proud of her work as an ever-present at the back.

That meant Fleet would level it at 3-3 after four spot-kicks each unless Ruby could save their next effort. She got mighty close, touching distance indeed, throwing herself to her left but not quite in time to get enough of her body behind it. Giulia’s penalty was a peach, hammering into the top corner, and Fleet’s next taker is to be commended for holding her nerve and sending the ball past Ruby’s right hand - and the teams into sudden death.

Amy was quickly nominated and sent forward, a picture of calm as she planted the ball to the goalkeeper’s left – but agonisingly just wide of the post. That meant Ruby had to save the next penalty; she stood tall, hammering the crossbar, channeling the spirit of Grobbelaar, and watched the Fleet girl put her penalty wide.

With few Teddington players willing to take a spot-kick, the idea emerged in the managerial brains’ trust: what about Ruby? Already drenched in spotlight and adrenaline, she seemed surprised but not fazed.

Leathering the ball into the bottom-left corner to put Teddington 5-4 up, she then returned to the goal-line and saved Fleet’s final penalty to win the match.

Now Teddington go on to face a late-January semi-final Abbey, against whom they have twice played well and lost unluckily this season. They will have the chance to put that right twice in three weeks, as the fixture list has served up a league game against them a fortnight before; January also starts with a league rematch against Fleet, while the final game before the February half-term is set to be against Maidenhead. The girls have proven, brilliantly, how they can mix style and steel; now they need to produce consistently in order to do themselves justice.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Hannah Hutchison, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Carla Novakovic, Liz Kriebel, Emily Bashford, Giulia Clini, Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd (1). Subs: Ale Fairn (1), Amy Hallett. 
Penalty shootout scorers: Kriebel, Dodd, Coulson, Clini, Rudkin.

Thanks to Catherine for the photos. Here's more:

Second half: