Enfield Town Ladies

SOUTH EAST COMBINATION
SUNDAY 1/04/2012
NORWICH CITY 0 ENFIELD TOWN 2

Enfield Town Ladies secured the runners up place for the season as they won 2-0 away to Norwich City. Sheree Oliver and Sara Sinclair netted the late goals and manager John Abbott said “It’s good to tie up 2nd place with 2 games still to go and in many other seasons we could have secured the title but Lewes gained some backing and built a very good side. We will now have a week’s break and start to build to the league cup final where I hope we can get the silverware our season deserves.”

In the opening minute a cross by Emma Thomas was a touch too high for the players in the middle but Sheree Oliver retrieved the ball and laid it back to Leanne Mabey who drilled in a shot that Norwich keeper Fiona Coombs saved and Regan Coleman hit he side netting with her follow up shot. Megan Todd hit a shot from just outside the area and it skipped up off the dry ground forcing Kelly Cooper to adjust her positioning and save the shot. Beth Lovell tried to slide a pass through the home defence but a defender poked the ball out for a corner. A smart pass sent Chelsey Garrett away and she took her shot early but wide of Cooper’s post.

Mabey slipped Sara Sinclair away and Sinclair shot with her weaker left foot wide of the post. Oliver pounced on a loose ball across the home back line and took the ball on before shooting to Coombs. Jodie Drake got under a shot and it ballooned to Cooper. A ball in by Garrett was flicked towards the goal by Todd but Cooper was perfectly placed to gather the ball in. Todd got around behind the visiting defence and shot from a tight angle and although she beat Cooper she couldn’t beat the face of the crossbar as the ball bounced away. Enfield were awarded an indirect free kick as the referee judged that Coombs had held the ball for too long but the kick was wasted as Coleman touched it to Sinclair who fired wide.

An Enfield corner was cleared and played back in to Claire Gooch who knocked it down to Thomas and Thomas laid it into the path of Coleman and her shot was to Coombs. Oliver won the ball in defence and was fouled but the ref waved play on as Oliver received the ball back from Beth Lovell and strode down the wing before then playing the ball in to the area where Coombs beat Sinclair and Coleman to it. Garrett tried to get away but Cally Browne stuck with her and Cooper came out to meet them as she blocked the ball with Kelly Herrett clearing the ball. Lovell was fouled after she released the ball to Mabey and again the ref played on allowing a run at goal and cross but it was ahead of Sinclair and Coleman. Oliver made the line and cross in where Sinclair improvised as her positioning as behind the ball by heading the ball with the back of her head and Coombs was forced into scrambling the ball away from the foot of the post.

Mabey blocked to clearance to Thomas and her cross was volleyed wide by Sinclair. Garrett got away and shat to Cooper. Kelly Hughes crossed in for sub Bilge Taspinar to knock down to Oliver who fired over. Thomas clipped a cross over Coombs and it bounced off the unsighted Oliver and went wide. Todd broke clear from the middle and passed to Shannon Greening who took a shot very early and was well wide of the target. From out of nothing Garrett hit a rocket of a shot from about 40 yards out and it was heading for the top corner until Cooper took off and got both hands to the ball and pushed it away for a corner. Taspinar and Lovell worked hard to win the ball from Norwich and then picked out Thomas who crossed to Sinclair, Sinclair had her route to goal blocked and helped the ball on to Oliver who took it a step to the right before beating Coombs low down at the near post to put Enfield ahead. 0-1 (87 min)

Taspinar again took the ball off a home defender and passed to Sinclair who released the ball quickly to Oliver and received it back as she went through the home back line and then slotted the ball past the keeper. 0-2 (90 min)

Enfield Town M.O.M. was Sheree Oliver for her tireless performance up and down the wing and her richly deserved goal.

Enfield Town Team; Cooper, Herrett, Gooch ©, Hughes, Oliver, Lovell, Sinclair, Mabey, Browne, Coleman (Taspinar), Thomas. Unused sub; Halil.

Norwich City Team; Coombs, Hippeson, Radley, Whitehurst, Larkens, Diston, Arnoup, Morns, Garrett, Drake, Todd. Used Subs; Parsons, Greening.

Enfield Town have a week off before travelling to 7th Place Luton Town on 15th April.

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Michael Bunyan
Enfield Town Ladies
Press Officer

Updated: 02/04/2012 13:50