Capital Women’s Cup Quarter-Final.
Team: Cheadle (Caldwell), Read (Hayes), Fogarty, Denny, Rackham, Cooper, Maggs, Layton, Wilson, Puddefoot, Richardson (Whitter)
Enfield Town FC were awarded a grant of £81,504 in 2010 towards the first phase of work on their new ground and they relocated there in November 2011.
I met up with Clive Kingham at Acton Town Underground Station and we made our way to the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. There had been some doubt that the match would go ahead, but Claire (the General Secretary), assured me that the referee had inspected the pitch just before10am and passed it fit to play.
There were no team sheets produced unfortunately and we met up with Roger Stokes inside the ground, around 15 minutes into the game.
Roger told us that Rangers had missed a penalty following a foul on Jo Wilson. Danielle Puddefoot’s spot kick being well saved by the Enfield keeper.
The R’s took the lead after 25 minutes when Alison Read fed Puddefoot, who then took the ball away from the keeper and rolled it into the net.
Rangers created a number of opportunities to increase their lead. Just before the break, a QPR player went down with what looked like a head injury and there was some confusion when the referee appeared to caution the physio?
Half-time: 1-0.
After the interval, Rangers continued from where they had left off. The Enfield custodian made a very good save with her legs and she later tipped a 25-yard shot onto the crossbar following some excellent build-up play. She then made another good stop with her legs and ended the threat by smothering the ball.
There was a double substitution with around 20 minutes remaining when Read and Richardson made way for Hayes and Whitter respectively.
The R’s deservedly doubled their lead a few minutes later when Jo Wilson scored from close range. She scored her second goal after 80 minutes following a good through ball from Elly Maggs. Enfield failed to clear their lines and Wilson tapped the ball in with ease.
The Rangers final substitution involved a change of keepers with Caldwell replacing Cheadle in the 81st minute.
The very heavy pitch was sapping the energy of some of the players but QPR managed a fourth goal after 84 minutes. Emma Whitter completed the scoring when she slotted the ball intricately between the keeper and the post from a few yards out.
This emphatic victory put the R’s into the last four of the Cup when they will meet Charlton Athletic.
My thanks to Roger for dropping me off at Stanmore Station.
Steve Russell