Clapton CFC Women’s First Team bounced back after three defeats in a row, battling back from 2-1 down to secure a point against Hackney WFC.
Visitors Hackney WFC came into this East London derby in fine form, undefeated in three though still six points behind CCFC. By contrast, CCFC started the game on a run of three straight defeats (albeit against opposition higher up the table), hoping for a much-needed home win on International Women’s Day.
The first ten minutes saw a fairly even contest, with a couple of dangerous breaks from Hackney. However, it was CCFC who’d strike first. After seeing her first shot blocked, Lucy Spours gave Clapton an early lead on 12 minutes, calmly side-footing into the Hackney net from just inside the area. 1-0 CCFC.
Things almost got even better seven minutes later. Marta Boiro lofted a free kick into the box, Hackney’s keeper came for it but spilled the ball at the feet of Egle Trezzi. Trezzi did brilliantly to react and adjust her feet on the fly, but her shot rolled just wide of the upright.
If the form book coming into this game favoured Hackney, CCFC hadn’t realised. Despite some threatening play from the visitors, particularly from striker Precious Novidzro, who was a menace all afternoon, the first 35 minutes belonged to Clapton.
Boiro, at the centre of everything, went close once again just after half an hour. A miskicked clearance from the Hackney keeper gave Boiro a shot at an audacious lob. It seemed for a second the ball would drift over the keeper and under the bar, but the Hackney number one got back well to tip over.
However, for all Clapton’s good work, it was Hackney who scored next. Hackney had been sending searching balls over CCFC’s defence for the rapid Novidzro to chase all half, and this one paid off. The Hackney number five beat Ella Bowles to the ball and tucked it into the net, before being immediately subbed off at the referee’s request for not wearing shin pads.
A few minutes later, Hackney had the ball in CCFC’s net again. This time, however, the goal was disallowed after a heavy foul from a Hackney forward, who bundled both Bowles and the ball into the net, remarkably drawing no card from the referee.
With that, the half-time whistle went. 1-1 and CCFC were probably feeling they deserved a little better for their efforts in the first half.
Unfortunately, Hackney came out in the second half with the wind in their sails. The half was barely three minutes old when Hackney’s top scorer, Lizzie Tucker, hit a beautiful looping shot from around 25 yards. There was little Bowles could do but watch as it sailed into the top right, just under the stanchion. 2-1 to Hackney WFC.
Sharpe reacted almost immediately with substitutions and a change of shape. Off came Li Steiner and Ching Chun for Noora Oikarainen and Leigha Bradding-Butler, respectively. The subs saw Trezzi move out of defence and into midfield with Noora taking her place alongside Annie Lyons, and Maria Mendonca moved to the wing from the centre forward role with Leigha Bradding-Butler up top.
The changes almost had an immediate effect. A great chance to equalise saw Lenny Holmes’ shot inadvertently blocked by Mendonca, who’d fallen into the ball’s path after a collision with a Hackney player. But, it wouldn’t be long before CCFC did equalise.
When Trezzi lined up a free-kick wide on the left, few expected a shot; another floated cross seemed the most likely option. However, Trezzi, not to be outdone by Hackney, had other ideas. A low, fizzing drive, from at least twenty-five yards, flew past everyone in the box and straight into the bottom right. A goal of the season contender and a well-deserved equaliser. 2-2 and an exciting last twenty minutes was all set up.
CCFC continued to push. First, Bradding-Butler forced a brilliant save from Hackney’s keeper. Then, in the eighty-first minute, it happened. Some great work down the left from Mendonca sent Bradding-Butler beyond the full back and away. Her cross found Boiro at the far post, who cushioned it calmly past the keeper. 3-2 to CCFC.
Sharpe shuffled again, bringing Min-Jung Kim on for Spours and Steiner back on for Allana Scoble.
Unfortunately, Novidzro, now back on and complete with shin pads, came back to haunt CCFC one last time. A dangerous ball over the top saw the excellent Bowles out quickly to make a great save, but the ball trickled to Novidzro, who rolled the rebound into an empty net. 3-3.
That proved to be the last meaningful action of the game. Exhausted after such an end-to-end contest, neither time mustered much in the way of clear opportunities in the final few minutes. CCFC can be proud of the grit and determination shown to pull back from 2-1 down, but perhaps will feel they deserved more for their first-half dominance.
Clapton CFC Women’s First Team are back on the road again next, with a trip to Dulwich Hamlet Reserves on Sunday, March 22.
Rob Stafford
Photos
