Record Win For Hampstead Women
FA Greater London League, Division Three
Hampstead Womens FC 18 Waltham Abbey 0
Sunday, 12 November, 2006
Scoring a goal on average every five minutes, the Hampstead team destroyed the Waltham squad with wave after wave of attack starting in the third minute. Kate Freeman brought the ball down from an acute angle in the center circle and threaded a lovely pass through to Sasha Stewart who in one movement spread the ball out wide for Cat Forbes to run onto. She stormed into the area and drove the ball into the top right hand corner. The flood gates opened and HWFC started scoring for fun.
It was 2–0 after five minutes, 3–0 after seven minutes, 4–0 after 10 minutes and then 5– 0 on 15 minutes with one of the best goals of the game. Freeman sent in a corner from the right which Carly Grayston got her head onto, knocking the ball to Stewart’s feet. Stewart leaned back on her defender and played the ball into Freeman’s path who hit it sweetly but it rebounded off the Waltham defender, landing again at Stewart’s feet. Leaning back on her defender again Stewart this time teed up Ellie Bard on the edge of the box who lifted the ball over the Waltham defence and placed the ball in the bottom left hand corner from 25 yards out.
There was time for a further four more goals before the whistle as Lucy Rebuck, Bard again, Freeman and Forbes all scored and HWFC went in at half time 9–0 ahead.
It would have been easier to sit back and soak up pressure in the second half but the team felt they could go on and score more. A goal on 47 minutes by Stewart set the tone of the second half. Running onto a through ball from Forbes, Stewart turned her defender one way and then another before driving the ball into the top corner from just inside the box. Rebuck scored again a minute after with a beautiful drive from 25 yards and Hampstead were on the rampage again.
Hampstead were awarded a penalty on 58 minutes when Green, on as a sub for Young was brought down in the area after skipping past two defenders. Stewart stepped up and made it 12–0.
Each time they attacked HWFC looked like scoring and the passing fluid movement of the team was a joy to watch. Grayston and Bard controlled midfield and Rebuck and Forbes supported Stewart & Freeman upfront with strong forceful runs down the wing.
The 13th goal was scored on 61 minutes after a brilliant piece of passing from midfield. Grayston picked the ball up in her own half, played in Freeman who skipped past one midfielder before threading the ball through three Waltham defenders for Stewart to run inside the box. As she was closed down by the last Waltham defender she played the ball across the area into Green’s path who slid the ball past the sprawled goalkeeper.
There was time for five more goals as the Hampstead team grew in confidence. Rebuck got two more, Green grabbed a brace and Forbes got her hat-trick too. At full time it was 18–0; and this was the largest ever win in Hampstead’s history.
Moving up one place in the league to third spot, the race for the title is starting to get very interesting. With three games to go before the Christmas break Hampstead play Celtic FC next Sunday away at 2.00pm and aim to continue their rich vein of form by winning and moving second in the league.
Player of the match:
Rebuck
Team:
Mifsud, Roberts, Berks ©, Young (subbed 57 minutes), Benjamin, Forbes, Grayston, Bard, Rebuck, Stewart, Freeman
Sub: Green (57 minutes)
Goalscorers:
Rebuck 5
Freeman 3
Forbes 3
Stewart 2
Bard 2
Green 2
