HWFC Clinch Promotion On Final Day
HWFC Celebrate Promotion
Hampstead Women Football Club, sponsored by Maccabi GB, earned themselves promotion with a last-day win over Fulham.
FA Greater London League Division 3HWFC 1 Fulham 0
Sunday, 29 April, 2007
A very tense match was won in the 44th minute by a wonder strike from right back Lins Roberts when she struck the ball from 35 yards out and beat the resilient Fulham FC goalkeeper.
HWFC knew what they needed to do before this match. A win would see them go second in the table and win promotion on goal difference from their two closest rivals in North London.
The pressure of the game and a delayed kick-off seemed to affect the team and Hampstead started cautiously giving away a little too much room to the team from Fulham.
A few half chances went begging, the best to Stewart who could not seem to connect cleanly with the ball on 14 minutes when she hit her shot wide from 10 yards out. Green was having some success on the right hand side but her weaving in and
out of Fulham defenders did not bring any joy and the longer the game went on the more tense the match seemed to be.
Hampstead had an indirect free-kick saved off the line and it was then a succession of corners for HWFC which seemed to help raise their game, and it was from one of those that they took the lead.
Grayston curled one in to the near post and as the Fulham defenders went to clear the header off the line (which was helped by Benjamin who was in fact blocking the keepers view of it), the ball edged out of the area. Roberts, who had come up from right back to support the corner took one strike at it, and the ball rebounded straight back to her. She reacted the quickest and hit the ball low and hard into the area and the ball nestled into the back of the net to the joy of the whole team, and the spectators on the touch line.
There was only time for Fulham to restart the match before the ref blew for half time and HWFC took the break to recompose themselves and ensure that they went out in the right frame of mind to ensure victory.
The second half started much better for the team from north London and it seemed that a second goal would come. Kate “Freeo” Freeman had a good chance as did Stewart too, along with Grayston but somehow the ball would not find the net. Fulham caused a few scares too - and with one break actually rounded the HWFC keeper only to be stopped by the steaming Roberts who dived in superbly in the penalty area, winning the ball and conceding a corner, giving the HWFC team time to reshape.
An excellent run down the left hand side from Bard, as she skipped passed three players, almost led to the second goal on 74 minutes but her pass across the face of goal was not met cleanly enough and another chance went begging.
As the minutes ticked away it became more tense, Fulham seemed to be getting stronger and the HWFC team seemed to be tiring. Green was having some more room on the right hand side and she was linking well with Stewart and Freeman and complimented by Jones who came on as a late sub for her debut.
Jones brought with her a fresh pair of legs and made a couple of mazy runs into the area which seemed to unnerve the Fulham back line. Winning two corners in the dying minutes, one of which was headed onto the post by Stewart, it was HWFC who were attacking when the ref finally blew his whistle on 95 minutes. This was not a game for the faint hearted. Fulham were a tough and well organised side who challenged both the ball and the players. Berks the captain was upended on no fewer than three occasions and came off the pitch black and blue.
At the final whistle there was both relief and joy as HWFC in only their second official season in the League won promotion to Division II and next year can test their skills out against even stronger opposition.
This was a momentous day for HWFC and manager Brad Solomon said this after the game: “The team had to be strong today. We were stopped from playing our normal fluid game in the first half but Roberts’ Goal helped us believe in ourselves and in the second half we played some good flowing football at times. It was a scrappy game but it’s the three points that matter and I’m exceptionally proud of what this team have achieved this season. Together they have reached the Quarter finals of the FA League Cup and won promotion, and I cannot fault the spirit of this team. It is a proud moment for anyone involved with the club”.
With a summer season on astro turf starting in two weeks, HWFC have a short break before its back to business and this time they will be looking to win the Summer trophy. The new FA season kicks off again in August and with a squad of 22 players it will be a great time to be involved with the Club.
Well done to the whole team today especially Lins Roberts who won her fourth player of the match award. It is impossible to single out any players this year as everyone has given their all, it was truly a team effort that secured the 28 points and superior goal difference that ensured promotion from division III. Well done HWFC.
