There were so many tempting FA Cup games to choose from on Sunday, it was a difficult decision to know where to head for. Eventually I opted for a second FA Cup visit to Kidlington for a couple of reasons. First of all, I saw them win their first ever FA Cup game against Headstone Manor earlier this month (Amazing Grace). Secondly, I needed to get back at a reasonable hour and Kidlington is my closest club.
Kidlington's opponents in this second qualifying round were Watford Ladies Development. Not to be confused with Watford Development, something I managed to do in the first post of the weekly review. D'oh! Watford Development are the Dev side of Watford FC, the women's team of the EFL Championship side. Watford Ladies Development are a completely independent club who ply their trade in the Women's Eastern Region Premier League, one step about Kidlington. They were promoted from Division One North last season, winning the league by seven points from Southend United, after moving laterally from the London & South East League.
They've had a mixed start to their Premier League season, winning two, losing two and drawing one but with nine new players coming into a much changed squad, it's sure to take time to gel. In all honesty, seven points is a good haul. Kidlington, meanwhile, have seen a glut of goals in their opening three games in all competitions, scoring fourteen and conceding seven. Last week, after losing their opening league fixture, they bounced back with a resounding 8-2 win in the A34 derby with Milton United.
Kidlington's opponents in this second qualifying round were Watford Ladies Development. Not to be confused with Watford Development, something I managed to do in the first post of the weekly review. D'oh! Watford Development are the Dev side of Watford FC, the women's team of the EFL Championship side. Watford Ladies Development are a completely independent club who ply their trade in the Women's Eastern Region Premier League, one step about Kidlington. They were promoted from Division One North last season, winning the league by seven points from Southend United, after moving laterally from the London & South East League.
They've had a mixed start to their Premier League season, winning two, losing two and drawing one but with nine new players coming into a much changed squad, it's sure to take time to gel. In all honesty, seven points is a good haul. Kidlington, meanwhile, have seen a glut of goals in their opening three games in all competitions, scoring fourteen and conceding seven. Last week, after losing their opening league fixture, they bounced back with a resounding 8-2 win in the A34 derby with Milton United.
There were dark clouds building in the distance as we kicked off. However, the threat of rain and possible storms was nothing compared to the threat Watford posed in the opening few minutes. In fact, five minutes into the game, they opened the scoring. Rebecca Lovelace sprang the offside trap and, with her pace, no-one was going to catch her. She drove into the box and slotted ball pass Emily Murphy with confidence. 1-0. Not the start that Kidlington wanted, that's for sure.
Credit to The Greens, however. Their response to going behind was to roll their sleeves up and look for a way back into the game. They began to push the yellows back into their own half but were struggling to make inroads against a well organised Watford defence. They also needed to be very careful when pushing up, because Watford showed time and again that they had the pace to get in behind the Kidlington. In fact, going a goal up early on was perfect for them. They seemed more than happy to let Kidlington come at them, before launching counter attacks.
The Greens were restricted to very few chances up front. Keira Isaac managed to get in down the right after 18 minutes, but her low cross was picked off at the near post by Chelsea Coles.
Just before the half-hour mark, as if to demonstrate their prowess on the break, Watford came close to a second. They countered quickly down the left before the ball was pulled back to Jessie Yawitch to strike, missing Murphy's right-hand post by inches. A minute later, goal scorers Lovelace used her pace to get in behind the home defence again but pulled her shot wide.
Despite having more of the ball since going behind, Kidlington hadn't been able to hurt Watford in the final third and were constantly in danger from pace, especially down each flank.
Kidlington did call Coles into action shortly before the break though. Emily Keal hitting one from distance that the goalkeeper did well to hang onto. Then, a few minutes later, in Kidlington's brightest spell, Isaac played in Grace Craven for a run at goal, only for Noemie Ramsell to get across and make a brilliant, last-ditch block to deflect the ball for a corner.
HT Kidlington Youth 0 Watford Ladies Development 1. After conceding early on Kidlington had more of the ball than their visitors but were restricted to few clear cut opportunities by a very well marshalled Watford defence. Watford were more than happy to sit back when required, safe in the knowledge that they had the tools to counter attack at pace and cause Kidlington problems.
Credit to The Greens, however. Their response to going behind was to roll their sleeves up and look for a way back into the game. They began to push the yellows back into their own half but were struggling to make inroads against a well organised Watford defence. They also needed to be very careful when pushing up, because Watford showed time and again that they had the pace to get in behind the Kidlington. In fact, going a goal up early on was perfect for them. They seemed more than happy to let Kidlington come at them, before launching counter attacks.
The Greens were restricted to very few chances up front. Keira Isaac managed to get in down the right after 18 minutes, but her low cross was picked off at the near post by Chelsea Coles.
Just before the half-hour mark, as if to demonstrate their prowess on the break, Watford came close to a second. They countered quickly down the left before the ball was pulled back to Jessie Yawitch to strike, missing Murphy's right-hand post by inches. A minute later, goal scorers Lovelace used her pace to get in behind the home defence again but pulled her shot wide.
Despite having more of the ball since going behind, Kidlington hadn't been able to hurt Watford in the final third and were constantly in danger from pace, especially down each flank.
Kidlington did call Coles into action shortly before the break though. Emily Keal hitting one from distance that the goalkeeper did well to hang onto. Then, a few minutes later, in Kidlington's brightest spell, Isaac played in Grace Craven for a run at goal, only for Noemie Ramsell to get across and make a brilliant, last-ditch block to deflect the ball for a corner.
HT Kidlington Youth 0 Watford Ladies Development 1. After conceding early on Kidlington had more of the ball than their visitors but were restricted to few clear cut opportunities by a very well marshalled Watford defence. Watford were more than happy to sit back when required, safe in the knowledge that they had the tools to counter attack at pace and cause Kidlington problems.
Kidlington stayed out on the pitch at half-time, whereas Watford went back into the changing rooms. The Greens were clearly itching to take advantage of the momentum they had begun to build up as first half played out. However, with the referee and his assistants also going back to the changing rooms, the half-time break took the full allotted time. This, in my opinion, was a clever move from the Watford coaching team. Of course, there's nothing wrong with what they did, they just wanted to give their players time to re-group after coming under increasing pressure toward the end of the first period.
On top of that, the heavens opened just before the game restarted. A steady drip to start with, but soon becoming a torrent. I was certainly glad of my umbrella (which I normally forget to bring).
It was clear that Watford had decided to try to play further up the pitch in the second period, to take the load off the defence. A one goal lead was not really enough to try to defend for the remainder of the game.
There were few chances at either end in the opening encounters of the second half, although Trea Hourigan did have Murphy scrambling across her line to watch a 57th minute effort go just wide. On the hour mark, captain Murphy certainly got the home crowd fired up when she hurtled off her line to make perfectly timed sliding tackle out on the left. A minute later, however, Murphy was helpless when, following a corner, the ball looped up and over her, coming back off the bar. It was hard to see exactly what happened, but the final touch may well have come from a Kidlington player. A close thing for the home side.
The Greens went straight up the other end and almost got themselves level. Keira Isaac, spotting Coles just off her line, hit one from close to 30 yards. Credit to Coles for getting back just enough to get a finger to the ball and push it away.
Space was beginning to open up as Kidlington, who now effectively had four strikers on the pitch, tried too push more players forward in search of the equaliser. However, as in the first half, this gave Watford more space to use their pace up front.
Watford had a big handball shout on 77 minutes when the ball skipped up and seemed to hit Sarah Pinna on the arm. The referee waved play on and Hourigan lashed the loose ball wide of the mark. Then, entering the last 10 minutes, Courtney Sumner, so often Kidlington's saviour in the past, lifted a shot goalward which had Coles scampering across her goal, only to see the ball drop just wide of the post.
Almost immediately, Watford broke clear on their right flank. Wilkes delivered a cross-shot, which fell into the path of Georgia Elmer-Roads, at the far post, to slide into the net. 0-2. A classic counter-attacking goal from Watford.
Five minutes later it was three and game over. The goal was almost a mirror image of the second. Rebecca Lovelace burst through on the left this time, putting in a low cross that tempted Murphy. When the Kidlington stopper and Watford player came together, the ball squirmed loose and there was Lovelace to tap into an empty net. 0-3.
There was clearly no way back for Kidlington now. The FA Cup run, for this season at least, was over.
FT Kidlington Youth 0 Watford Ladies Development 3. Overall a deserved victory for Watford, but a 3-0 score line felt harsh on Kidlington. For much of the first half they had the upper hand in terms of possession and, if they could have found an equaliser at that stage, who knows? Watford managed the game much better in the second half and were always a threat down the flanks and very confident at the back. There's was no lack of effort from the Kidlington players, who gave everything they had. Debutant Karima Elouath in particular, ran herself into the ground for The Greens.
If you would like to see either of these teams in action next week, they both have league encounters. Kidlington play host to newbies Slough Town at Exeter Park. The sides have identical records after two games, with Kidlington just edging it on goal difference. Watford make the long journey East to second from bottom Needham Market
Kidlington Youth: 1.Murphy(c), 8.Woodward, 5.Dunbabin, 4.Reagan, 14.Taylor, 12.I.Thacker, 6.Keal, 3.Antonen, 20.Elouath, 10.Craven, 9.Isaac. Subs: 24.Clayton, 15.Haynes, 16.Cumner, 17.Pinna, 18.O.Thacker
Watford: 12.Coles, 18.Sherrin, 6.Payne, 4.Ramsell, 3.K.Elmer-Roads, 2.Yawitch, 8.Carr(c), 16.Hourigan, 10.Lovelace, 9.Husein, 20.G.Elmer-Roads. Subs: 15.Anderson, 11.Wilks, 7.O'Donoghue
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
On top of that, the heavens opened just before the game restarted. A steady drip to start with, but soon becoming a torrent. I was certainly glad of my umbrella (which I normally forget to bring).
It was clear that Watford had decided to try to play further up the pitch in the second period, to take the load off the defence. A one goal lead was not really enough to try to defend for the remainder of the game.
There were few chances at either end in the opening encounters of the second half, although Trea Hourigan did have Murphy scrambling across her line to watch a 57th minute effort go just wide. On the hour mark, captain Murphy certainly got the home crowd fired up when she hurtled off her line to make perfectly timed sliding tackle out on the left. A minute later, however, Murphy was helpless when, following a corner, the ball looped up and over her, coming back off the bar. It was hard to see exactly what happened, but the final touch may well have come from a Kidlington player. A close thing for the home side.
The Greens went straight up the other end and almost got themselves level. Keira Isaac, spotting Coles just off her line, hit one from close to 30 yards. Credit to Coles for getting back just enough to get a finger to the ball and push it away.
Space was beginning to open up as Kidlington, who now effectively had four strikers on the pitch, tried too push more players forward in search of the equaliser. However, as in the first half, this gave Watford more space to use their pace up front.
Watford had a big handball shout on 77 minutes when the ball skipped up and seemed to hit Sarah Pinna on the arm. The referee waved play on and Hourigan lashed the loose ball wide of the mark. Then, entering the last 10 minutes, Courtney Sumner, so often Kidlington's saviour in the past, lifted a shot goalward which had Coles scampering across her goal, only to see the ball drop just wide of the post.
Almost immediately, Watford broke clear on their right flank. Wilkes delivered a cross-shot, which fell into the path of Georgia Elmer-Roads, at the far post, to slide into the net. 0-2. A classic counter-attacking goal from Watford.
Five minutes later it was three and game over. The goal was almost a mirror image of the second. Rebecca Lovelace burst through on the left this time, putting in a low cross that tempted Murphy. When the Kidlington stopper and Watford player came together, the ball squirmed loose and there was Lovelace to tap into an empty net. 0-3.
There was clearly no way back for Kidlington now. The FA Cup run, for this season at least, was over.
FT Kidlington Youth 0 Watford Ladies Development 3. Overall a deserved victory for Watford, but a 3-0 score line felt harsh on Kidlington. For much of the first half they had the upper hand in terms of possession and, if they could have found an equaliser at that stage, who knows? Watford managed the game much better in the second half and were always a threat down the flanks and very confident at the back. There's was no lack of effort from the Kidlington players, who gave everything they had. Debutant Karima Elouath in particular, ran herself into the ground for The Greens.
If you would like to see either of these teams in action next week, they both have league encounters. Kidlington play host to newbies Slough Town at Exeter Park. The sides have identical records after two games, with Kidlington just edging it on goal difference. Watford make the long journey East to second from bottom Needham Market
Kidlington Youth: 1.Murphy(c), 8.Woodward, 5.Dunbabin, 4.Reagan, 14.Taylor, 12.I.Thacker, 6.Keal, 3.Antonen, 20.Elouath, 10.Craven, 9.Isaac. Subs: 24.Clayton, 15.Haynes, 16.Cumner, 17.Pinna, 18.O.Thacker
Watford: 12.Coles, 18.Sherrin, 6.Payne, 4.Ramsell, 3.K.Elmer-Roads, 2.Yawitch, 8.Carr(c), 16.Hourigan, 10.Lovelace, 9.Husein, 20.G.Elmer-Roads. Subs: 15.Anderson, 11.Wilks, 7.O'Donoghue
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
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