MATCH REPORT-31st OCTOBER 2004
Long Lane WFC 3v3 Clapton Orient

Team:
Rachel Kettle
Latasha Kirton, Katy Arnold, Sarah Kucera, Helen Parr
Krystal Anderson, Helen Donohoe, Sabrina Samuel (Mandy Mason, 80), Anita Dines (Choko, 70)
Jema Bekir, Karen Clarke

A bruising battle between Clapton and Long Lane ended in a 3-3 draw.
The game was hard fought and physical on a lumpy pitch, ending with high drama as Long Lane pursued the referee to the dressing room after he disallowed a last-minute goal.

Long Lane started brightly and were awarded a penalty in the 2nd minute following a late challenge from Krystal. Rachel had no chance from the well struck kick. Long Lane were unlucky not to increase the lead, hitting the bar from one of a number of well-delivered corners. But Clapton dug in and gradually contained Long Lane play and began to create chances. Jema equalised after a long throw from Sarah, taking the ball wide and tucking the ball across the net from an improbable angle. Clapton had other good chances in the first half. Sabrina narrowly missed, following up a loose ball outside the area with the keeper out of her goal; and Karen hit the post, the keeper recovering to collect the rebound.

The second half began with a crazy goal fest. Some excellent, determined work from Jema enabled Clapton to take the lead straight from the kick off. But then it all went wrong and Long Lane scored twice in as many minutes, the first a well struck kick from outside the area and the second a poached goal following a mix up in the area. Long Lane continued to attack, but Karen equalised for Clapton in a memorable attack. Clapton had another excellent chance to win the game, as Jema and Karen broke through; but Long Lane also created a lot of chances. Rachel Kettle made two superb saves, diving low on one occasion to stop a shot along the ground she must have seen very late. In the last minute, Long Lane thought they had won, as a player rounded Rachel in goal and slipped the ball in; but she had taken the ball out of play to to so and the referee disallowed the goal.

Player of the match: Rachel Kettle

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