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Sunday 09 October 2005 Surrey County Girls League U14 Cup
The girls put the heavy defeat of the previous week behind them with some style, cruising through the preliminary round of the Surrey County Girls League Cup with an emphatic victory over division one side Croydon Borough Girls.
The home side took a deserved lead after fifteen minutes when Nicole Matthews reacted first to a ball bouncing around in the box and turned it inside the post from fifteen yards. It was not, however, as one-sided as the scoreline suggests. In the first half, Croydon asked several questions of the Dons' defence. One of those questions was from the Croydon right winger, who beat the defence and put in a superb cross that found two attackers on their own in front of goal, one of whom left Stephanie Cross in goal with no chance. The young Dons continued to press with Victoria Saddington and Rebekah Walker on the wings causing the full backs all sorts of problems and Danielle Page and Melika Jordan bustling in the middle and, with half time approaching, were rewarded with the lead when a Croydon defender poked the ball past her own keeper during a scramble in the box.
Serena Fraser came on for the second half, and bustled up and down the left, causing problems for the Croydon defence. Charlotte Crisp finished a nice move ten minutes in and from then on the result was never in doubt. With Lee Walters and Sophie Scherschel both putting in brilliant performances at the back, ably assisted by Masie Bolt, the Dons goal rarely looked in danger, and Stephanie Cross made a couple of smart saves when required. Danielle Page was next on the score-sheet, somehow managing to lob the keeper off her shin from twenty yards whilst lying on the ground. We don't believe she meant it, but they all count! AFC Wimbledon season ticket holder Rebecca Simper celebrated her birthday with her first goal for the Dons, gliding in at the back post to tap in a cross from the left (ok, her birthday was two weeks before, but that's when the game was originally scheduled for), then Charlotte Crisp and Rebecca Simper both repeated the trick to end up with two goals each.
Mananger Toby Crisp and assistant Mick Whelan were naturally delighted with the result, and are looking forward to the visit to Petts Wood Swifts in the first round next weekend.
