Charlton Athletic Ladies finished a creditable 4th in the Premiership Southern Division last season, so our opening game of the league campaign against them was always going to be a stern test.
It’s been a tough pre-season for our lot too. We’ve worked hard on a system that we believe will stand us in good stead for the season ahead, and while there have been teething problems getting it up and running against some quality sides in our pre-season friendlies, all the hard work we put in paid dividends here.
The Ladies put in a disciplined and totally committed performance and got their just rewards with a fine three points and could have ended up winning the game by a greater scoreline had we taken some of the excellent chances we created.
It was a bit of a tight start to be honest, with both team creating very good chances to open the scoring. But it was us who struck in the 14th minute with a well-worked goal.
A slick interchange between Seun Odeniyi, Malin Engman and Cherrelle Albert eventually saw the ball fall to Seun on the edge of the box and she hit the back of the net with a lovely controlled finish to give us a 1-0 lead.
The quality of our passing surprised me, particularly on the counter attack because it was good stuff in what was testing conditions. It was really hot out there and the grass was a touch on the long side, which didn’t help either team but both sides still knocked the ball around relatively well.
In the first period Charlton probably had more of the ball than us, but we frustrated them with our system and defensive play and they seemed to run out of ideas quite early on as they searched for a way back into the game.
The second period started in similar fashion, with them pressing and us countering superbly well. We had to endure one or two hairy moments, but nothing that we couldn’t deal with and as the game wore on, we started to look the more likely to score.
We created two or three glorious opportunities and Malin struck the post as well in what should probably have been a penalty and a potential red-card for the Addicks keeper who Malin rounded but was clipped by.
It was the sort of game that for long periods could have ended up a draw or a goal in it for either team, but in the end, we came away feeling that we should have killed them off and even blown them out of the water.
It was a solid start for us though. Despite not winning more convincingly, we played well and showed that we’ve got the fight and character to compete at this level. It’s a great three points and a top team performance and if we can create the type of chances we did here, then we’re going to score more often than not and come away with more positive results than not too.
Charlton on the other hand are clearly a handy side that know this level well and I’ve only had the opportunity to see Brighton last season and Millwall in a pre-season friendly (who got promoted to the National last season) and there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of difference between them at all, so something tells me consistency and cutting edge will be key factors for success or failure this season.
Team: Emily Bourne, Ceryl Guard, Nicki Crump (Zoe Dalton), Simone Dwyer, Melanie Bidewell, Suze Wylie, Tammy Scrivens, Elly Maggs, Seun Odeniyi (Camilla Ray), Malin Engman (Shona Chitate) and Cherrelle Albert
Goals: Odeniyi
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