Enfield Town Ladies began their defence of the La Senza cup with a comfortable
8-0 victory away to Wingate & Finchley and the only surprise was that it took 27
minutes to open the scoring as they totally dominated the game. Bianca Baptiste,
Fran Boggi, Robyn Downie, Claire Gooch, Sheree Oliver (2) and Emma Thomas (2)
all found themselves on the score sheet. Enfield manager John Abbott said “It
was an awesome display from us and I didn’t want the game to end. The pitch was
perfect and suited our style perfectly and we made the most of it.” Enfield Town
travel to Billericay Town in the quarter final date TBA.

Enfield began on the attack and in the third minute a short Kerrie Marlborough
free kick to Emma Thomas was fired against a defender with the keeper rooted to
her line, from the resulting Rebecca Laporte corner Claire Gooch headed towards
goal where a defender hacked it clear, A Bianca Baptiste run was halted by a
foul but the referee waved play on as Sheree Oliver took over and shot narrowly
over, Baptiste pounced on a mistake and forced a save by Elizabeth Horton with
Robyn Downie blasting the loose ball over the bar and Oliver combined with
Thomas for Baptiste to volley over.

Wingate’s Irisha Smith chased a long ball and got behind the Enfield defence but
Marlborough got back to her and held her up long enough for the rest of the
defence to get back and the chance had gone. Beth Lovell advanced onto a loose
clearance and took the ball on before firing wide, and then did the same as the
ball broke clear following a heavy challenge on Baptiste. Laporte chip a ball
over the home back line to Downie and her cross was headed straight at Horton.
Downie crossed the ball and Thomas swivelled on it and shot with Horton push it
away for a corner. Sheree Oliver received a pass as Enfield played the ball
across midfield and tried her luck from distance and was rewarded as Horton
misjudged the ball kicking thin air as the ball rolled past her.0-1 (27 min)

Oliver, Baptiste and Thomas exchanged passes and Thomas’s resulting cross saw
Downie nip in front of the defence and steer the ball home at the near post. 0-2
(29 min)

Dawn Clark saw a free kick skip through to Jo Ayre during a rare Wingate attack
and also another one go across the area without a team mate getting anywhere
near it. A cross looped into the area and Baptiste headed against the keeper
with Downie’s follow up being saved. Everyone seemed to stop as Enfield appealed
for a penalty for hand ball except for Baptiste who controlled the ball and took
a step to get a clear sight of goal before firing a dipping shot over the Horton
and in. 0-3 (37 min)

A Marlborough free kick from out wide beat Horton but Avril Clark headed off the
line conceding a corner that Gooch jumped highest for and headed across the
goal. Wingate finally had an effort on Target as Dawn Clark swung in a free kick
but in a carbon copy of her own free kick moments earlier Marlborough headed off
the line with her keeper beaten. Gooch collected the ball in her own area and
went unchallenged to the edge of the area before seeing her shot take a
deflection off a defender that took all the pace off it.

The second half carried on as the first half had done with Downie crossing for
Baptiste to head against a defender and then crossing for Lovell to lay back a
chance for Nicola Carty to shoot and force Horton into a save. Baptiste slid a
pass down the side of the defence for Downie to get to the line and pick out a
pass across the goal for Oliver knock home her second goal of the game. 0-4 (49
min)


Smith was played in by a team mate but Marlborough snapped in with a tackle to
concede only a corner. Baptiste chipped the ball inside to Downie who hit the
bar wit a fierce shot. Thomas and Baptiste slipped in Fran Boggi and her turn
and shot landed on the roof of the net but Boggi was not to be denied for long
as fellow sub Sara Sinclair made the line and lifted the ball into the centre
where Boggi cleverly helped it over the keeper’s challenge. 0-5 (60 min)

Gooch again strode forward and played a one two with Downie but shot to the
keeper. Downie headed a deep Thomas cross over the bar, and then sliced a shot
wide after Boggi had pulled the ball back to her. The referee played another
good advantage as Thomas was fouled with Sinclair shooting over. Boggi hit a
dangerous diagonal cross that had everyone watching as Janice Healey steered the
ball inch’s wide of  her teams own post. Sinclair picked out the run of Thomas
and Thomas did what she does best hitting the ball on the run and giving the
keeper no chance as it fizzed past her. 0-6 (72 min)

Thomas hit a great diagonal cross into the six yard area and it was met by a
diving header by Sinclair but amazingly it somehow flew over the bar! Sinclair
headed another cross against the keeper and from the corner by Downie Oliver
played it back in where Sinclair was unable to turn it home but Gooch was on
hand to thump it in. 0-7 (76 min)

Lovell headed yet another cross wide before Thomas rounded off the scoring
volleying home a diagonal cross by Melissa De La Fuente. 0-8 (79 min)

Sinclair had the ball wide on the right and took it to the line but with players
forming a queue for the cross she elected to shoot and saw her effort come back
off the post. A Thomas cross was swept on by Sinclair and although Horton got
down to save it the ball squirmed loose and a defender just beat Downie to it
and cleared from the line. Downie turned on the ball in the area and floated the
ball towards the far side of the goal where the keeper got a touch and pushed it
onto the post before it was cleared.

Enfield Town M.O.M. was a difficult choice with outstanding performances all
over the pitch but Emma Thomas was unplayable by the opposition and got the
vote.

Enfield Town Team; Ayre, Oliver, Carty, Hughes, Gooch ©, Marlborough (De La
Fuente), Thomas, Lovell, Baptiste (Sinclair), Laporte (Boggi), Downie. Unused
Subs; Kent, Mabey.

Enfield Town have no game this Sunday and return to action Sunday 22/11/2009
with a visit to 9th place Cambridge Women in the league and a chance to avenge
the only defeat of the season. 2pm