Tottenham Ladies travelled to SE9 to take on London Women in a game with an 11a.m. kick-off despite the bad weather, which was responsible for a small tree being felled adjacent to the pitch where the game was to take place, just prior to kick-off. The Ladies started brightly using the conditions to their advantage and to play a neat passing game. Tottenham took the lead as early as the fourth minute when La Toyah Johnson had a shot parried by the keeper, Gill Blackmore followed up and as the keeper cleared the ball from her toes, she turned to chase the loose ball. Reaching the ball quickly, Gill spun around to strike her shot from 15 yards into the far corner of the net. Within a minute London Women equalised, when their striker broke free, rounded Tina Hills and shot into the corner of the Spurs net. Ten minutes later the Spurs defence failed to clear a ball convincingly and London Women scored from close range to take the lead. With 17 minutes gone, Steph Lappen drilled in a shot, but the London keeper saved comfortably. Five minutes after this action, La Toyah Johnson was fouled out on the left wing about 15 yards from the touchline. Kelly Herrett floated the free-kick to the far post where skipper Jackie Fearon rose to head home to level the scores at 2-2. In the 32nd minute, La Toyah Johnson threaded the ball through for Zoella Freeman to run on to. Holding off the attention of a defender and as the keeper advanced, Zoella slid in to lift the ball over the keeper into the roof of the net. Six minutes later Steph Lappen took a corner and La Toyah Johnson met the ball with a crisp side-foot volley from six yards giving the keeper no chance. 4-2 to Spurs !! Freeman then had a shot from the edge of the area which was again parried by the home keeper, but two minutes later the goalie was helpless to stop Gill Blackmore extending our lead when she collected a pass from Zoella Freeman 15 yards out and hammered the ball home. On the stroke of half-time London Women broke free again slotting past Tina Hills to make the score 5-3 at half time. It was nine minutes into the second half before Tottenham had their first chance with Zoella Freeman shooting just over the bar from 20 yards. In the 57th minute Jackie Fearon scored her second goal of the game. The Spurs captain turned the ball over the line from close range when she reacted quickest after her back header from a Kelly Herrett free-kick came down off the bar. Three minutes later Gill Blackmore hit a shot just past the post from a Jackie Fearon pass. Then in the 62nd minute, the London Women's keeper pulled off a great double save, first blocking a Zoella Freeman shot from the edge of the area and then the follow up from La Toyah Johnson at point blank range. Gill Blackmore was coming closer to her hat-trick and with 67 minutes gone, she saw a side-foot volley from a Lorraine Sparrow corner spin just past the post. On 73 minutes Tina Hills was brought into action when she pulled off a great diving save from a shot-cum-cross from an acute angle just finger-tipping the ball away from the oncoming forward. It was 11 minutes from the end that Gill Blackmore deservedly completed her hat-trick. When the London Women keeper could only get her fingertips to a Zoella Freeman cross, Gill was on hand following in to knock the ball over the line from close range. With two minutes to go a brilliant passing move ended in a corner when Steph Lappen's shot was blocked by the keepers outstretched legs. There was still time left just before the final whistle for Kerry Daniells' shot to just clear the bar from a wide angle. It was a good performance by the Ladies in tricky conditions that will help re-establish confidence and they can move on after their biggest win of the season so far to face a tough match at Orient next week.
