CR Dream Team

Well, we actually got to play again! Its proving really hard this season to get any continuity going, and each game feels like we are starting again, and that was certainly the case today. Things were made harder by a pitch that is so sloped its almost like playing a different sport.

It took us a little while to get into todays game and their flair players, especially their left back, settled quickly into the game and caused problems. Indeed it was the number 2 who made a dashing run down the left wing and played in a dangerous cross which Talulah managed an almost impossible skill, playing the ball directly back off the thinnest post in football, and it unfortunately fell straight to their player to made it 1-0.

We started to get ourselves into the match, but still looked a little rusty, so we really could have done with a bit of luck. But as has often been the case this season the next bit of luck fell the way of Redhill when a crossed ball was attempted to be cleared a couple of times before the cleanest strike came straight off a challenging opposition player and rebounded straight into our net. 2-0.

But we were now starting to get things going. Lara had changed the theme of our play with some committed tackles, and that started to flow through the whole team. We were also starting to get a little bit more used to the slope, which really did impact the way football is played.

With the first half coming to the end we really needed something to show for or efforts, and it duly came with some excellent midfield work we’ve seen before this season. Jess won the ball, flipped it to Eve who in turn found Bea with another great through ball. Bea had lots to do but brilliantly closed down on goal and slotted the ball past the keeper.

The girls were properly revved up at half time and ready to go and get a win. The second half took a little while to get going, but it was starting to look more like we were going to get back into the game, but with Redhill looking dangerous on the break.

Sophia held of a defender, and coolly finished, only for the ref to penalise her for nothing more than being stronger than the oppo. An odd decision with some of the other tackles that were allowed all game.

But this showed the way forward, and Sophia would not be denied for long, chopping her defender in half, opening her body and smashing the ball home. 2-2.

It really felt like we were now the team with the upper hand, but we were caught out a couple of times losing the ball in the middle of the field and being punished by strong, fast forwards. Unfortunately our shots were either at the keeper, and if not she was making incredible saves. Their shots on the other hand were directed at the corners and gave Deni no chance, even when hit on the spin like their 3rd goal.

A 4th followed for Redhill and although we battled until the final whistle it was a defeat that felt like a game that could easily gone our way.

Hopefully a flatter pitch next week and we can get back to playing some of the nice football we’ve seen this season.

Goals: Bea, Sophia
PoM: Lara

Last game of the term and the difficult challenge of playing the team top of the league at the start of play. Not the easiest place to find but a lovely location when you did get there and a pitch of the quality this game deserved, as two sides came to play proper football.

KPR play four at the back so are a tough team to play through, and they also pass nicely through midfield, and in a more narrow style than the wing play we often come up against. This causes a different set of problems and after a little tweak to the tactics, which the girls picked up brilliantly, we looked much more solid. When KPR did try to find a pass through they found Deni having an incredible game with her box management and collecting the ball on countless occasions when what could have been a difficult moment was sorted by Deni and her bravery!

It really was a great game to watch, both teams creating half chances but nothing of real substance so it was going to take a moment of magic to change the game. That came courtesy of Liv after we’d won a free kick outside the box, right in her sweet spot. Their keeper wasn’t the biggest player (although was an excellent goalie) but it really didn’t matter how tall she was as Liv smashed the ball top bins. 1 – nil.

The game continued in a similar vein with us creating chances, especially through link up play with Bea, Eve and Sophia, and KPR always threating via their quick forwards and controlling play in the middle of the pitch. We don’t have much choice other than to play 3 in defence, but in games like this it certainly adds a few grey hairs to the manager! The girls, on the other hand, seemed to be loving the challenge!

It felt like KPR deserved a goal and that duly came after a CR attack broke down and they moved quickly through midfield. For once one of their through balls was weighted perfectly and Deni had no chance as their striker nicked through and finished low to the left.

Bea nearly put us back in front after a beautiful run, but the ball rebounded back off the base of the post.

1 – 1 at half time gave us a huge amount to build on and the second half was another good watch. Eve came out in the second half like a player possessed and controlled the middle of the pitch, making things very hard for KPR to settle. Charlotte, Jess and Sylvia were rotating brilliantly to also close down space and Sophia was popping long passes all over the pitch to bring in our pacy wingers.

But KPR probably carried a greater threat second half and were really putting us under pressure. Their 2nd goal came in strange circumstances. They seemed to shoot wide from another one-on-one situation that Deni had closed down brilliantly, but were awarded with a corner. That corner bounced off a KPR player and seemed to be rolling safe as Talulah looked to smash the ball clear. Instead, the ball cannoned straight off a KPR player and shot into the net! Such bad luck.

KPR pushed hard for a third and thought they’d scored it when the ball fell to their striker from a cross, Deni made a wonderful save, but the ball was rolling to their approaching midfielder with the goal gaping. As she went to smack it into the net SuperThea dived across from nowhere and blocked the shot. It fell back to the KPR player who was still so confused from where Thea had actually come from she blazed the ball over an open net!

It looked like ultimately we’d only be rewarded with a narrow defeat, but the girls just never gave up. Some solid defending saw the ball played out to Bea, she passed the ball inside to Eve who carried the ball up field before laying of a delicious through ball for Bea to pick up. She still had lots of work to do but raced through and as the keeper approached she calmly lifted it over her and nailed on the equalising goal with only a minute left.

Overall a fantastic performance and great reward for all the work the girls have done in training. Its been a stop start season so far with cancelled coaching sessions and games off due to weather, but the players are really showing signs of excellent development and we are seeing great relationships spring up all over he pitch. But most of all we are seeing massive smiles at the end of every session, and that’s a huge victory!

So many players were great today but player of the match goes to Eve for one of the best second half midfield performances I have seen, capped off with a wonderful assist at the end.

Well done girls, you’ve adapted to a higher league brilliantly. Have a great Christmas and we’ll be ready for more in 2026.

Goals: Liv, Bea
PoM: Eve

It’s these types of games that makes the work the girls do in training all worth it. In what was a close game for a large portion of the match the players stuck to their passing football and put in the best performance I have seen from them.

Everything was pretty tight for the first 25 mins with H&R very strong up front and pushing us back. The defence were incredible against a very pacy and skilful striker, and Denis bravery was something else whenever the ball did break through our lines. Her timing was impeccable.

So while H&R were causing us problems we were also starting to get chances. Emily arrived to whip a ball into the box and Lara’s clean contact on the half volley went narrowly over. Liv then hit the bar with a lovely effort, and it felt like we were getting a hold on the game.

Things turned for us in a two minute period wit Liv doing well down the left side, feeding Eloise and her pass was slotted home by Bea. Then Bea returned the favour for Eloise to tap home, and we were going into half time with a 2-0 lead.

The game still all felt there to play for as H&R were still creating chances through the wings and the middle, so the next goal really felt important so it was lucky it went to us with Bea played through and finishing calmly.

Our fourth goal was one of the best team goals we’ve scored. Liv picked the ball up deep on our left side and played a lovely 1-2 with the excellent Talulah. From here we worked it down the wing before playing it across field with Bea played through again to finish her hattrick. The oppo never got a chance to make a challenge and it was pure football.

The goals started rattling along now as the girls refused to get selfish and instead played even better “team” football.

Bea got her 4th and the team 5th with another 1 v 1 on the keeper before Eve also slotted home. Liv finished calmly before Sophia made space for herself and fired home before Eloise got her second with a wonderful left foot finish at the near post.

So many good performances today. Deni and the defence were brilliant, the midfield gave up nothing, and the passing from the whole team was a joy to watch.

Players of the match today go to Bea, not only for 4 goals but with the way she distributed the ball which added so much to our overall play and also to Talulah. Their forward was fast and tricky and gave Talulah a tough time in the first 5 minutes, but once she’d worked her out is was a masterclass of defending, to the point where their 23 moved to another part of the pitch as she’d had enough!

Well played girls, an absolute joy to watch.

Goals: Bea 4, Eloise 2, Eve, Liv, Sophia

Up against a team we have never been able to beat in the league, this was always going to be a tough encounter, but it was an entertaining game that could have gone either way.

We probably had the best of the opening exchanges, without creating any chances, so were a little unlucky to go one down when a free kick was awarded midway into our half and their player smashed it into the top corner.

The game remained even with some excellent passing from both sides, but when the ball broker centrally the Colne Valley attackers managed to play some nice one-touch passes and their striker slotted home for 2-0.

It would have been easy for heads to go down at that stage but if anything we upped out performance. The last 15 mins of the first half were all us, but the shots we managed to get away were either too gentle or straight at the keeper. But out midfield was holding their own. Charlotte was excellent in a slightly deeper role and was well supported by Jess, Sylvia and Ellie. Sophia was playing some wonderful through balls and we were unlucky not to go in at half time with a goal to our names.

As the second half got underway it felt like things were changing. Their super fast right back was still defending well, but was becoming more and more isolated. Liv was starting to get some luck down that side and was getting shots off more regularly.

This culminated in Sophia rolling a perfect weighted pass across to Liv who opened her body and smashed the ball into the net.

It really felt like we were back in the game now, and we continued to create half chances. Lara was chasing down everything up front and helping us get the ball in dangerous positions. From one of these pressure moments the ball broke to Liv again. She fired an attempt across the keeper and for all the world it looked like an equaliser, but the keeper thrust out a strong hand and deflected the ball over the bar, a top quality save.

We kept pushing for the equaliser our play deserved, but that left us a bit open at the back, and Colne Valley punished this right at the end of the game with a wonderful through ball to leave their striker one-on-one and she calmly finished.

A game that could have gone either way, and one that was competitive from start to finish. A couple of stronger challenges here, and a more composed finish there, and we’d have got something out of the game, which I think would have been well deserved (and would have been a nice birthday present for Jess!).

Players of the match today were Liv and Charlotte, Liv grew into the game and looked our most likely source of goals and Charlotte gave one of her all action captains performance with tackles and passes all over the pitch. But this was a really strong performance and one the girls should be proud of.

Goals: Liv
PoM: Live, Charlotte.

Against one of the strongest teams in the league, and with a number of players missing, this was always going to be a tricky assignment. But the oppo were a nice bunch, the pitch was mercifully small and we played in the shadows of the Surrey Hills, so could have been a worse experience.

The game couldn’t have got off to a better start. Some early pressure down our right side saw Bea and Charlotte putting a lot of pressure on their left back and when Charlotte managed to get the better of her defender and ping in a cross, the centre back nodded it into her own top corner.

Unfortunately from here MV were able to exert some good pressure. After a number of crosses had missed their target they finally picked out the striker, who side footed in for 1-1.

The ref was also very picky about challenges, giving soft free kicks all over the pitch, which was not ideal when they had such good ball strikers. One such event gave them a free kick just outside the box, and it was promptly whipped into the top corner.

Then saw a period of 15 mins where we totally held our own and had chances to score.

Lara struck a solid shot from the edge of the box which was heading towards the top corner before their keepers clawed it away for a corner. Soon after Liv smashed a shot which narrowly went over the bar. There were also a couple of corners which, with a luckier bounce, would have resulted in tap ins.

But just before half time MV were able to pick up a couple of fairly soft goals to leave us 4-1 down at the break.

The second half, now with only 10 players, was always going to be tough, but the girls stuck to their jobs brilliantly and got some good distance in their legs.

MV have some excellent weapons with long throws, strong dead balls, and some big athletes, but they also play some lovely football and constantly put the defence under pressure with through balls and good close control. But it wasn’t a walkover and we were also still creating chances, even if we didn’t often have enough players on the pitch to attack the corners we did win!

Mole valley were able to pick up a further 3 goals (one from another softly given free kick, one from a long throw that bobbled in the box and one from a lovely through ball where their striker could easily hold off her defender and slot home) but it was a competitive effort and the girls should be very proud. Sometimes we want to concentrate on a result, but other times we need to step back and see how the group are developing. In very difficult circumstances they supported each other, never gave up and were still seeing the opposition goalkeeper get excited about making saves right up until the final whistle, so a really good team effort.

Player of the match goes to Charlotte for creating the first goal, being excellent on pitch then making a number of saves when keeping in the second half. Another really strong performance from Jess, some excellent defending and skill from Fleur and some battling tackles from Lara (knocking over their defender who is more powerful than me) being further highlights.

Goals: OG
PoM: Charlotte

End of half term, no normal keeper, no normal manager (limited impact), players away…..how would we go! Well very well actually!

Before the game even started there were some epic efforts. Thea to land from holiday and pretty much come straight to the game on no sleep. Sophia and Eve agreeing to go in goal. These actions really are what makes a team and and is incredible to see.

As for the game, CR started strongly and could have had a number of goals in the first half (sound familiar?) but struggled to finish off the numerous chances created. Finally Bea picked up a pass from Eloise and put us one up.

At the other end Sophia was displaying her athletic ability with a number of good saves to keep a clean sheet by half time.

The second half started strongly. With Sophia now out on pitch she set up Bea with a lovely ball to make it 2-0 and soon after the nerves were settled a little when the same combination managed to give us a 3 goal lead with a Bea hattrick.

But with limited, becoming no, sub options we started to tire. KPR managed to pull a goal back and it took a couple of brilliant saves by our second half goalkeeper Eve to keep us with breathing space. A late KPR goal did result in a nervous ending, but the girls hung on for a fantastic win.

There were strong performances all over the pitch with Ellie showing her ability in midfield and Jess linking play together by being everywhere on the pitch, only denied her first goal for the club by an excellent save from the oppo goalkeeper.

Sophia and Eve were heroines in goal and Emily slotted back into midfield as she had last season. overall an excellent effort. When we played this team 2 seasons ago we lost 8-0 and it was the point we decided to switch the squad up a bit. A performance like today, with so many obstacles to face, shows what an incredible set of players we now have. Also lovely to see Deni at a game to support the girls. What a amazing group!

Goals: Bea 3
PoM: Bea and Jess

Tough one today playing a very physical side who seemed to be allowed to be far more aggressive than us by the ref. Oddly we probably had more clear cut chances today than we did in the last game, but scored none this week as opposed to 7 as we got dragged into a bit of a battle.

The match started evenly but Abbey were able to score fairly early when a ball made it to the edge of the box and their midfielder hit a volley that squirmed into the net.

From here we created chance after chance. Sophia struck a lovely shot from distance which smashed against the crossbar. Eve was so close to getting on the end of two corners. When we did breach the defence we found an inspired keeper able to save everything hit at her.

Abbey weren’t creating much, although did just miss a one-on-one, but they had a constant danger with their centre forward, who was one of the strongest girls on the ball we’ve seen. So it was no surprise when late in the second half she managed to ride a number of tackles before crossing the ball where they had a 3 on 1 situation. Deni saved the first shot brilliantly, but in the style of the day if rebounded straight to their player who side footed it home.

The second half followed a similar pattern with Abbey slowing the game down at every opportunity to hold onto their lead. We again created numerous chances, but were unable to finish any off. Bea (having been smashed around all game) won a penalty her hard work deserved, but there was no beating this keeper today who saved the resulting kick.

With time running out Abbey threw a ball across the box which landed at their strikers foot and she calmly stroked the ball into the net.

A bit of a lesson today in physicality but also game management and as we play these more established teams we’ll learn a great deal.

Player of the match today was Thea who cam up against an excellent player today and stood toe to toe with her all game and was particularly solid, although credit to the whole defence who restricted them to very few chances, they were just clinical with the ones they got!

PoM: Thea

So our first league game in Tier 3 saw us take on Redhill (who played in this Division as Dorking FC last season). Redhill had won 2 Cup games so far this year, both against another team in our league, without conceding a goal, so it would be a good test or where we are.

The game was tight from the start with not many chances for either side. Redhill defended well with quick wingbacks, but our defence were also holding firm with Thea winning every battle and Talulah, Fleur and Emily looked extremely composed.

Then midway into the first half Bea won an incredible 50/50 (what injury????) and Sophia picked up the ball in midfield and pushed it through to Liv. Liv still had lots of work to do but cut inside her defender and riffled a low shot into the far corner of the net for our first goal of the season.

That goal certainly helped our confidence and we looked slicker with some lovely passing between the lines. After a through ball went a little too far the Redhill keeper didn’t pick it up and luckily Eloise was alert had kept the pressure on and was presented with the easiest goal she will ever score, left foot into an empty net.

Just before half time we won a corner which Liv pinged into the box and Eve met first time with the outside of her boot to score at the near post.

Wanting a fast start to the second half we were rewarded for some excellent play as Liv again got clear from lovely work by Sylvia and slotted into the net for her second and the teams fourth goal. But with 20 mins to go, and the game looking easy, we saw why at this higher level its impossible to switch off. Deni made an incredible save from a free kick that was flying into the top corner and then Redhill worked the ball well down the left and an excellent cross was bundled it at the far post.

Redhill quickly won the ball again in central midfield and their attacker ran unchallenged to the edge of the box before firing a shot in off the inside of the far post.

Things could have wobbled but we stayed positive and started to press again. Eve won a corner with some excellent closing down and when Liv sent in another wonderful delivery Eve was there to be first to a bouncing ball and lash it into the net.

Our best football of the game was being played now with some beautiful passing moves. many of these were being started by Thea (who was everywhere in defence today) getting the ball to Sylvia who showed that when you give her time she can find a pass to anyone. Some of the best distribution I’ve seen and a really impressive match from Sylvia today who has carried on from the strong end to last season.

Liv had time to claim her hattrick as she smashed a free kick in from just inside her own half before Bea scored the goal of the game. Some wonderful work saw the ball moved from defence to midfield and when Sophia picked the ball up she had options. She chose a perfectly weighted pass to Bea whose first touch was sublime and took her away from her defender. From here she just had the keeper to beat and she skipped past her to roll the ball into an empty net.

Redhill had scored again so we ended 7-3 and a fantastic start to the league campaign.

Could have been so many players of the match today, it really was that good, and the engines on Eloise, Charlotte, Eve and Jess always gave us a chance, but today it goes to Liv for her hattrick and 2 assists, Thea for getting their manager to complain to his players that she was winning too much and Sylvia for one of the most composed passing performances I’ve seen. Well done girls!

Goals: Liv 3, Eve 2, Eloise, Bea
PoM: Live, Thea and Sylvia

Cup game for our first match this year against a team that were Tier 1 last season and it showed. Won’t go into too much details but the effort and teamwork of the girls was commendable.

Jess played her first game for us and we extremely solid, picking up the player of the match award.

All looking forward to next week and getting back to our normal level!

Goals: None
PoM: Jess