Cheam Ladies 2nd XI

Report: With help from friends in the 1's and 3's, Cheam were really unlucky to lose this hard-fought friendly against a strong Guilford side a league above the ladies 2's.

Despite one of the Umpires acting as a coach and 12th player for Guilford, Cheam created the better chances with Rachna and Lucy W powering down the right wing.

After going a goal down, Cheam equalised with a great strike from Nicky, getting on the end of a brilliant pass down the middle from Sylvana. Even with some players playing out of position it looked like we might go on to win the game but Guilford responded with an attack which the defence thought was going to be stopped for a short corner. The umpire let play continue and even Lexi couldn't save the shot into the bottom corner.

Although we were disappointed not to win, we ended the game knowing we all gave 100% and enjoyed a fun friendly in the Saturday sunshine. Well played girls!

Report: A fighting battle held by the 2nds with the first goal from cheam swiftly crossed from Lucy W (woman of the match)to Bev and in the back of the goal by Nicky, beauty. Cards being dished out like it was christmas and the opposition having been put into the sin bin (naughty corner) a match i believe our spectators, thought this was worth standing outside in the cold for. A good combination between Clare and Amy. With short corners gained our captainS strikes on goal were kept out of the goal.lUCKY enough I scored a goal with a low back strike into the goal. Celebrating this achievement but again ticked off by the umpire having dropped my stick. Ooops.! Our defence playing to their best keeping the remainder of any strikes at goal at bay. Hooray the for the whistle a hard game but well played to everyones efforts!

Report: Ouch!!! With our goal keeper, Kate, showing us her warm up routine, by doing the splits, was soon tested to her max! From diving and kicking away their strikes at goal did us proud. However conceeding the first three goals in less than ten minutes put us all i think in a bit of a spin, especially me, when one cheeky opponent whisking the ball from under my feet and scoring. Being at a disadvantage against our opponents who were ever so tall, our attempts at goal just didnt seem to hit the back board. Well one goal from Emily was disallowed and a short corner given instead!! With her silky drive up the wing and trying to back flick the next attempt was saved by the keeper.Of course I tried to copy this move and again was saved by their keeper. This score did not reflect the determination and constant battle of the almight 2nds to carry on until the bitter end!(or until the game was stopped due to! Jilly in the icy corner and Bev agreeing with the umpire that enough was enough, far to dangerous to play!

Report: Who needs a Goal Keeper??!!!

A scratch team of Ladies 1s, 2s and 3s made the trip to Windsor for a charity match in aid of Breast Cancer. Windsor wore pink shirts and Cheam donated their match subs to the very good cause.

The team may have been a mix of players but the play was anything but scratchy! You would have thought this team had played together week in week out for years. Slick inter-play and quality movement off the ball meant Windsor were in for a long tiring match of chasing.

Cheam started brightly and quickly snatched possession from Windsor; territory and possession were to be totally dominated by Cheam. Many a chance was created and many a short-corner won but Cheam were thwarted by a) very good Windsor GK and b) a new attack still finding its feet (it has been a few years since Quayley has been given licence up-front you know!). Claire was having a stormer down the left intercepting and running the Windsor defence ragged. Eventually with only minutes of the 1st half remaining the short corner routine clicked! Sylvana’s quality injection was calmly switched left by Quayley where Bev ‘the basher’ Nicholson lay in wait, she did not disappoint this time 1-0 Cheam. There was still time for Cheam to get another short corner (last play of the game) which saw Fiona just go inches wide.

So half-time was jovial and the defence ribbed the forwards saying if they didn’t score within 5 mins they were going to show them how it was done!! The forwards took note and quickly forced another short corner; Sylvana injected once more Quayley hit it back to Sylvana who was now on the post and she slammed home 2-0. The defence of Fiona, Craigy, Sinead and Sarah were making a fairly easy work of any Windsor attacks, snuffing them out high up the pitch remember our goal was bare no GK in sight.

The third followed quickly, slick interplay resulted in Rose stealing in at the back post to slam home 3-0! Yet more chances were created and short corners given unfortunately the Windsor GK was in stunning form! Finally a classic move came off! Rose was released down the right, so she danced past the Windsor defence (practicing for the evenings festivities I believe), and played a great cross to Quayley (how did she keep up with fleet footed Rose I hear you cry…to be honest we don’t know!) who guided the ball into the back of the net, 4-0!

Windsor did unfortunately manage to break our defence with a well worked move, however had a GK been there it would have been cleared, although she would have been so under worked she may have been asleep! 4-1.

To finish the match Cheam won yet another short corner (would 20 be a conservative guess?) the well oiled machine of Sylvana injecting, Rachel stick stopping, Q switching saw Bev guide the ball to Steph (yes Steph Williams!) who was in front of the GK and reverse pushed it between her legs, 5-1!

Great result girls and more importantly fab play. Quote of the day - Jeanne our lone supporter was clapping away at the great play. The oppo coach/umpire says to her "Wow, they really are a great team, well done." Jeanne replies "When they play like that I don't really need to give instructions!"

Report: Sallie W taking the reins as captain providing the team documented colour paper handouts with tatics/ensuring everyone knew their positions and roles to which we were all colour coded. It gave us positive thinking! First game back after the new year players pacing up and down the pitch burning those calories off. Emily gaining us short corners to which Chimpy wacking the ball as hard as she could towards the goal. With Ruth showing off her skills dribbling past players getting nearer to the goal. Nicky was unable to put them away this week. All supporting forwards giving a gutsy performance. In defence Alexis marking a young and very skillful player which kept us on our toes. Hard work and pure determination from the team rewarded us a well earnt point and onwards and upwards for 2010 !!! Sorry forgot to say i got woman of the match, SO nicky where is my snicker bar.

Report: Away to Epsom with our supporter Sinead, who gave it all to the umpire! The almighty Cheam 2nds finally won a long deserving game 2-1. Last week’s woman of the match, goalie Lexis kicking balls away from her manor showing us how she does the splits. Our deafening, defenders Sallie, Sarah and Lexis keeping the ten short corners away from the goal/cutting out all but one goal. Our captain & joint woman of the match: swiping the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, keeping strikers at bay. A splendid job from Emily probably deaf after being told to man mark her player who was one to keep up with. Joint woman of the match Searsha AKA Sasha taking a battering of not just one but two hard hits one after the other into her ankles, by the same player. She continued with her eyes all welled up and played some great passes. Well the exciting first goal from Nicky O, the team were jumping around f! or joy like we won the world cup. Birthday girl Lucy M placing the next goal straight into the back of the goal before our oldest player the one and only Jill could claim it. However Amy’s frustrated attempts at goal did not go unnoticed. Last but least I best not forget myself (Wendy) who burnt some more calories up and down the pitch. Great work team on wards and upwards don’t eat too many pies over the festive period. Merry Christmas:)

Report: After an unsettled start to the season the 2's returned in style on Saturday with a well deserved win over Surbiton.
It was 1-0 at half time courtesy of a great far post goal from Amy C but we all knew they were going to come at us hard in the second half.
Two amazing individual runs from Emily culminating in a goal for herself and one for Wendy saw us home in a second half which saw Surbiton pull back to 1-1 then 2-2.
A great all round team performance with a close run in for GOG between Wendy for her superb fitness and constant chasing and Emily for two brilliant runs
Onwards and upwards

Report: The Ladies 2's started their league campaign with a visit from local rivals Epsom. In the soaring heat and with only 11 players (half of whom who are new to the 2nd X1) we new this was going to be a tough game.
A good first half saw Cheam have a chance saved off the line (well the top corner actually) by a defender who was hiding behind the keeper! This was really the only clear chance for either team so we were unlucky not to go into half time 1-0 up.
In the second half Cheam came out and put Epsom under a huge amount of pressure. Some grest runs from Amy down the left and Wendy down the right culminating in a goal from Bev at the top of the D. 1-0. We continued to push Epsom hard but unfortunately they managed to get one shot away and drew level.
1-1
The last few minutes was extremely hard work and everyone had to dig really deep as the heat and only having 11 in the first game began to take it's toll. A few last ditch tackles from Sal, Gill, Lexy to name but a few to hold on to the draw and get us under way with a point.

A fantastic team effort and a very enjoyable game.
Well played everyone.