SOUTHGATE 2 – 0 WIMBLEDON W3
Match Report by Miriam Dirnhuber
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”… a third of a way through the season, and it is we who have climbed the ladder to sit enthroned in pole position. One Southgate 2-0 win and one Barnes loss shook the volatile standings on Saturday and rocketed us to the top of the table with 18 points and six wins from seven. Match statistics would show that we were unequivocally the better side; Wimbledon 3s’ shots were few and far between, whereas Southgate attacked again and again with deluges of hits on goal. And yet our conversation rate stands in stark comparison with last season’s thumping 9-0 away win. The opposition goalkeeper was Wimbledon’s standout, blocking barrages of shots; but the onus is on us to be more clinical in shooting and tactical in passages of play.
Annie Howells ensured a positive early start, charging up the line and into the circle for our first threat. Wimbledon matched this effort with a pass to a forward whose sprinting was insufficient to take control in the D. Lucy Sheffield was in sparkling form with her aerials, using them effectively to break opposition lines; one such ball, caught by Charlotte James-Pajwani, was subsequently floated to Helen Cathcart who won our first corner. Here we first witnessed the prowess of their keeper; she made an excellent right leg save to deny our left slip routine. Ella Poole-Crowe had another go, but with the narrow angle the goalie smothered her and soon intercepted a ball from Jennie Stephens to Gabby Murray-Panayiotou.
It was manifest that a Southgate goal was due, and smart positioning and passing yielded a lead. Annie with her signature spin gives the ball to Ella Chandler who forces a foul and speedily takes the free hit. Driving down the baseline, she pushes it out of the keeper’s reach to Gabby in front of goal; without a clean reception she hands it to Emily Ruffell-Hazell, waiting unmarked on the back post to tap it into an open goal. 1-0. Phew.
The aggression is all Southgate’s with further invasions into the opposition quarter. Wimbledon took a hasty 16 which Southgate easily intercepted, and a sea of red shirts flowed into the circle leaving the keeper high and dry. But with remarkable agility she made a miraculous stick save against Gabby. Next, Ella C floats the ball with laser precision to Caitlin Haberlin-Chambers and she gains a short. Annie drags, and keeper saves.
Charlotte JP is tackled nastily by Wimbledon youths and wins a rare penalty flick. Without waiting to recover, she takes the ball to the P-spot at once. Surely this was our chance to seal the deal? Wimbledon had other ideas; an absolutely top-class diving save stuns us all. This is getting annoying. Oppo forwards failed to reward their keeper; assured defending by Sheff and Eleanor Trafford halted an opposition counter, and Wimbledon fluffed a short corner so no comeback was made before half-time.
Their GK was quickly out to block a shot taken from a defender’s deflection, then Gabby would again outskill defenders and again be denied by a save. The visitors win their third corner after tussling it out with Jennie Stephens, but miss the target once more. Their interpretation of the rulebook reflected their interpretation of shooting, going wide of the mark to be yellow-carded after tripping up Ella P-C. Gabby’s nemesis made a double save, one on floor and one in air; and then, on receipt of a fine Sheff aerial, she tried to lift the ball into the corner. Another save. Gabby drops her stick in disbelief. How is this possible? Southgate looked allergic to scoring.
The attempts in their circle were countless, and yet the scoreline was stubborn. Wimbledon came without subs, and did not help themselves with another yellow for shoving a speedy JP. The resulting short corner left slip hit is deflected on target. No prizes for guessing what happens next… still 1-0. At long last, after what felt like hours of fruitless slogging, Annie from the baseline finds the pass to Em who imitates her first goal by gently touching it over the line behind the keeper. What took us so long?
We have never seen a coach who was so upset at winning a match. Of course the W2s were relieved to win and joyous to be top, but it was an exasperating 70 minutes. Our goal difference is modest, and to maintain our place at the summit of an unstable league table we need to be more prepared for the toughest games which are yet to come.