MATCH REPORT - 21st APRIL 2010
Tower Hamlets 2v0 West Ham Development

Wednesday league fixtures are rare, but due to the backlog of postponements a midweek match was a necessity. This is actually only the second time the Cows have played competitively at their training ground Mile End Astro, but two wins out of two is still a statistic to be proud of.

The quick surface made for some neat passing moves from both sides and the tempo of the game was relentless. No bobbles, no divots, no hit and hope (well maybe a couple) meant the ball was played to feet with confidence. This was end to end stuff. West Ham Development are undoubtedly a very skilful side. Their players were confident on the ball and moved it around with relative ease. They controlled the ball very well, knew when to turn into space and were always striving to play good football, as instructed continuously by their coaching team.

West Ham sit well above the Cows in the league and it is obvious to see why. For all West Ham's attractive football it was maybe that final killer ball into the box that was missing. Tower Hamlets have their own tricky players that caused plenty of problems for the opposition. Helena Kiely, in her first season for the Cows, and only her second start for the first team, turned the West ham defence inside out. Beswick and Kiely combined very effectively and Beswick's pace and willingness to track back proved very effective.

The Cows created a good few chances in the first half, with Karen Clark narrowly striking the wrong side of the post and Kiely having a penalty shout as she was just about to strike. In the end the first goal came from the right hand side as Claire Speed came off her wing to slot the ball in at the back post. The Cows midfield were in imperious form as Krystal Anderson and Camilla Cullen ensured every 50/50 ball was won and dispatched to the forwards or wingers. For all the attractive football played by both teams it was this physicality and strength in midfield that ensured Tower Hamlets were able to assert their authority.

The second goal was well deserved as pressure from Clark to win a header resulted in a small push in the back and a free kick was awarded just outside the area. Cows Coach Gabriel Odiana has been working hard on free kicks with the squad and this time it paid off, albeit for a bit of a lucky deflection off the West Ham wall. Claire Speed stepped up and got her second goal as her powerful free kick spun off the wall and dribbled into the bottom right hand corner. Odiana made sure positive and practical advice was dished out at half time and encourage focus as Hamlets sought to sustain the slim lead for the full 90 minutes.

West Ham were very capable of getting back into the game and their dangerous players could not be ignored. The Cows defence held firm as Katy Arnold and Captain Charlotte Kirk continued to win headers and play the ball out of defence with purpose. Concentration was key, and excellent overlapping from both wingbacks, Sarah Webster and Ruth McKeown, meant the Cows were always willing to launch an attack despite having a precious lead to protect. The cows still have a relegation fight on their hands, and with only 3 games left points from each game are a must.