This week's fixture saw us travelling to an early game in Romford. This suited us as we were all keen to get back to the club for Super Saturday. The squad was missing 2 of our stalwart players - Sam Gayler was out with injury and Claire Pandor couldn't make the early fixture time. This meant that we had to move some players around and bring Molly Gayler into the central defence role and bring Sylvie Simmons into the left defence role. As it turned out, both had excellent games and rose to the occasion in their new roles. We were also without Keira Keogh who had been called up to the 2s for her debut - Keira had scored a 70 min goal in the last 2 games for us so we were going to miss her.

We always knew this was going to be a challenging fixture. Romford are tough to play against and have a good shot stopping goalkeeper. It was also the first time this season that they had managed to pull together a 12 person squad when they had previously been going out with 10 players in some games. They were wary of us as the league leaders and rightly so!

We started well and it was clear from the get go that we were going to be the stronger team. Our forward line worked hard to establish our press early, and with clear direction on setting the press from Molly in defence, it was clear that Romford were going to struggle to get the ball out of their defensive 25. Every time, Romford tried to get the ball out, it was mopped up by our forwards or midfielders, and went straight back into their D. Daisy Johnson made a great run into the attacking circle which resulted in the ball coming off a Romford foot as it crossed in. All the Romford defenders and GK stopped but the umpire hadn't seen the foot. Anna Dingle picked the ball up on the penalty spot on her reverse and slotted it past the keeper, much to Romford protestations. Never stop until the whistle is blown!

Our second goal came quickly after the first. This time it was an excellent ball played down the right wing by Ella Baldwin for Dingle to run onto. She played it across the circle for Danielle Metcalf to pick up and net her first goal of the season. We were 2-0 up within 9 minutes of the start of the game. We continued to dominate the game but some great stops by the Romford goalkeeper prevented us from netting anymore goals in the first half. Lucie Hatley narrowly missed scoring at the far post after a full body commitment to getting the goal where the keeper won the challenge.

The half time team talk aims were still the same as we started with - set the press early, keep pushing forwards, wear the opposition out with our pace, and try and play the ball around with transfers and use all the space we had. We did all of that and more in the second half. Talisa Krishnamurthy was awesome throughout the game but particularly in the second half where she controlled the bottom diamond position so well and commanded the centre of the pitch. Tucker Paddon worked relentlessly from right back (with the Romford coach yelling in her ear for the whole of the second half - she used to play for Romford before she came to her senses!) to get the ball up travelling well down the right wing for our forwards to move onto. We won several short corners one of which Jemimah Ramchurn scored off only for the umpire to controversially disallow the goal after we had gone back for the push back. Romford had complained that it was dangerous as it was a shot in the air off the rebound. We then scored again a few mins later - this time the goal came off a defender's foot inside the circle after a strike from Jemimah again and went in the goal. The umpire gave a short corner rather than a goal. Some days as a forward it just doesn't go your way but sadly it does affect the standings in the Golden Stick competition!

The rest of the game resembled an old well fought grass game (for those of us old enough to remember that natural playing surface). We never stopped trying to score in the same way that Romford never stopped putting their bodies in the way of everything we put their way. Anna Ross-Bell never stopped running and trying to feed the ball into the forwards. It was a tough and frustrating battle that even had the calmest of us getting a little fiery on the pitch (you know who you are - Heather Greaves!).
The game ended as a 2-0 win to Loughts. It could and should have been more but a win's a win and it was another 3 points in the bag which takes us into the half term break with 6 wins out of 6 appearances and 5 points clear at the top of the league. Not too shabby!

Woman of the week - Talisa Krishnamurthy - for a truly dominate performance in the middle of the pitch.
DOD - Let's just say this wasn't awarded to anyone in our team!

Special mentions go to:

Emily Houghton for being so committed to playing with us and to the club that she played for both us and the W2s this week. She was an absolute legend and, yes Neil, it does count as a clean sheet if you don't touch the ball as a GK. They still have the job of directing their defenders so that they don't have to touch the ball!

Russ Johnson - for your eyes on the side and sending me coaching tips by text for the half time team talk. Thank you!