The management are justifiably proud of the way their players are almost all adaptable enough to play in more than one position, but if any place on the pitch requires specialist knowledge, it’s the goalkeeper. With Ruby Rudkin unwillingly absent on Duke of Edinburgh duty, Teddington were once more forced to shuffle their pack – and this time found an ace in the hole.
Jen didn’t exactly grab the gloves as soon as they were available; like all her team-mates bar Ruby, she’d much rather play outfield and regards herself as rubbish between the sticks. But having seen her in impressive action during pre-training warm-ups, manager Dave Waldron asked – and Jen accepted a provisional one-half trial period.
And so, for the fourth successive game Teddington had a new defensive unit to bed in, although Jen was protected by the back four that finished against QPR: specialist centre-backs Sarah Dillamore and Millie Theobald flanked by two attacking full-backs. On the right, Amy Hallett continued to combine correctly confident defending – at one point, chased into her corner by the left-winger, she simply put her foot on the ball until Dillers came close enough to be found with a quick accurate left-foot pass – with increasing forward movement into the right-wing beat she used to occupy.
Meanwhile, on the left, Teddington were almost spoiled for choice. With Frances Clark safely returned from her own DoE expedition, and Emily Bashford in no danger of being whisked off for hockey trials, the management had the luxury of choice – albeit not exactly extravagant, given that there were only 11 players available. There were 12 players there, though. Club legend Saskia Brewster came along to lend her support and, having now been registered, will make herself available whenever she can from here on in: a very welcome return.
For now, retaining Bash at left-back showed the coaches’ faith in the ever-developing battler, and also gave Fran a chance further forward in a more favoured position, with Emily Coulson switching inside to replace the absent Giulia Clini. And operating closer to the middle of the action brought out the best in Emily, battling away in the autumn sunshine, combining combat with creativity to win a 25-yard free-kick which Liz Kriebel fizzed just wide.
So it was fitting that Emily should open the scoring – and her account for the season – after just 12 minutes, and how. As is so often the case with Teddington, the move started from the back: Amy’s strength and antipication winning possession, her vision and accuracy setting Ella Bothamley off down the right-wing. By her high standards, Boz’s cross was a little behind Em – but the midfielder reacted brilliantly, flicking it up with her trailing leg and volleying it into the top corner in a smooth movement reminiscent of Dele Alli. If she can watch and learn from that lad, she’ll not go far wrong...
From there, Teddington had more of the ball without always pressing home the advantages presented by their possession, although a Liz snapshot from distance had the goalkeeper scrambling to gather at the second attempt. Up the other end, Jen was calmness personified when called upon, and added another dimension to the home side’s play when her team-mates discovered she would happily play the role of sweeper-keeper – whether to tidy up any Abbey long balls forward or to offer an easy passing option to backtracking defenders to calmly open up her body and recycle possession to a less occupied team-mate.
Indeed, although Teddington had majority possession, their fluidity threatened Abbey even when the visitors had the ball. When an Abbey cross flashed harmlessly along the 18-yard line, it was gathered by Bash; covered by Fran dropping back, she rocketed forward half the length of the pitch to deliver a cross which almost picked out Boz at the back stick.
Even when Abbey could ruffle feathers, they didn’t produce panic. Just before the half-hour, the latest punt over the top managed to find the sweet spot behind the Teddington centre-backs; but there was Carla Novakovic, speeding back to rush the striker into shooting much earlier than she might have chose – and the rising effort was brutally batted away by the iron right wrist of a slightly surprised Jen.
After a difficult opening month of the season, the home side were enjoying themselves, and quite rightly so. Always a willing target in the centre-circle, Ella Dodd can usually be relied upon to bring the ball down and find a team-mate. Unless, that is, she decides to snake-hips her way past the centre-back first, as she did on the half-hour; supplying Boz, she raced after the round-the-corner return, forcing another defender into miskicked clearance which again took the goalie two attempts to muster.
Scenting goals, Teddington sent Boz down the right, and Doddsy met her pearl of a cross with a near-post flick which looped up and, excitingly if predictably, back down again. Fran beat the goalkeeper to the first touch but her effort was hooked off the line.
At half-time, Jen agreed to retain the gloves but Abbey went down to 10 due to an injury, so Teddington set about overloading. When Boz completed a one-two with Liz and crossed to the near post, the goalkeeper just about bundled it to the edge of the area but Doddsy couldn’t quite turn to shoot nor find Fran, supporting her in a clever advance position which suggested a hunger for goals. Abbey responded with a rising shot which Jen handled with aplomb, before her opposite number also had to stretch to field a Liz shot created by a fluid move through Emily, Boz and Doddsy.
Eight minutes after the oranges, Teddington doubled their lead, and it came down the left. Given the ball and the opportunity of a foot-race, Fran toasted her right-back and produced a cross which found Boz, cutting in from the opposite flank, in plenty of room to tuck home left-footed.
Nine minutes thereafter, from a centre-circle free-kickcorrectly given for an advantage that didn’t accrue, Liz glanced in a header which curled beautifully past the goalkeeper. Sadly, the goalkeeper was Jen, left helpless as the American’s unfortunate own-goal halved the deficit.
For a short time, the game was in the balance. Just after the hour, a breathless 30 seconds of penalty-box pinball saw Teddington forwards politely queueing up, but too politely – and the visitors’ hasty clearance almost became a through-ball when the otherwise faultless Millie T flubbed the interception, with an audible curse and a clear thanks to her covering team-mates.
Abbey brought their missing player back on just in time to watch Teddington’s third goal, on 63 minutes. Sent haring through the inside-left channel, Doddsy had the vision and selflessness to square the ball for Boz to tap home right-footed.
Game over? Not quite. Within three minutes Abbey were back at Teddington’s heels with another unsaveable effort, this time a superb finish into the top corner; the offside flag was up, but possibly prematurely, as the girl who was off wasn’t interfering.
After three defeats in three games, the home side may have been forgiven for nervously retreating – but they had the better of the closing stages, with Amy adding impetus as an auxiliary attacker rampaging forward from right-back. Receiving the ball to feet from Jen, she set up Boz for another one-two with Liz; Boz’s cross found Fran at the back post, but she couldn’t find the finish.
There was time for one more not-quite, when Emily – excellent throughout – dinked a lovely ball over the top for Doddsy, who just about beat the advancing goalkeeper but couldn’t quite finish it or find Fran. No matter, as the home side deservedly took all three points, with plenty to celebrate and room for further improvement.
For once, Teddington had come out on the right side of a 3-2 scoreline, and they could lay strong claim to deserving a greater victory margin. Blameless for either goal conceded, Jen gave confidence to a solid partnership of two natural central defenders, flanked by full-backs with genuine attacking threat; the midfield combined craft with graft, while Fran continues to impress and looked completely at home on the left wing. This XI will be augmented by the returning Ruby (allowing Jen to flourish outfield), Giulia and Saskia, with one or two others also to arrive. When Teddington get up to full strength, their future looks good.
TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC: Jen Neves, Amy Hallett, Sarah Dillamore, Millie Theobald, Emily Bashford, Liz Kriebel, Carla Novakovic, Ella Bothamley (2), Emily Coulson (1), Frances Clark, Ella Dodd.
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