Match Report QPR LFC v MK Dons LFC South East Combination League

  I've attended plenty of matches in the South East Combination League this season and have seen some very competitive and entertaining matches. I've always had an eye on this league in the past as it is where the East Anglia teams operate such as Norwich City Ladies and Cambridge WFC and certainly in the past few seasons one team has usually dominated the league and won promotion easily a notable example being Lewes Ladies a couple of seasons back. This season however the league has several teams battling for top spot.
    No less than 4 teams going into the weekend were well placed for a title challenge.

C&K Basildon have been the early pace setters newly promoted and on the back of successive promotions the winning habit is something that you can carry with you to a new league. I have seen them play a couple of times, play the ball well, short passes but progressive in build up with plenty of attack minded players and in both the games I've seen the ability to conjure up a goal when it has been needed.

    2nd place going into the weekend and the team I personally had as favourites to win the title at the start of the season were QPR Ladies. Again have seen them play a couple of times and they like C&K Basildon have a host of attack minded players who look to advance with the ball quickly particulary down the flanks. Have in my opinion the best player in the league Sophie Fogarty (pictured right) very agile and quick with the ball picks a good pass and drives at defenders.
    Also have the leagues top scorer in Stacey Sowden (pictured below) with over 20 goals in all competitions, a powerful and physical presence happy to go up against defenders and get herself in good scoring positions.

The 3rd placed team in the South East Combination league has snuck up the table almost unoticed on the back of 5 successive wins before Christmas and because of that MK Dons Ladies have to be in the title mix simply because I feel the 4th placed team are in with a shout still having seen them play and by the sheer number of games they have in hand on the other teams Norwich City Ladies. A tall and powerful group of players they are perhaps more direct in their game play than both C&K Basildon and QPR but I don't mean that in a negative sense as they look to attack and counter attack quickly getting the ball up the pitch but getting the players up in support too, pose a big problem at set pieces too. Have been the victim of a huge number of postponements and as good as games in hand sound most managers would rather have the points on the board will be interesting to see if their squad can cope with a quick succession of games... when they finally get them.

QPR LFC v MK Dons LFC

   Onto this weekends match then out of the 4 teams still in with a real chance of the title MK Dons LFC were the ones I hadn't seen play was interested to see how they would fair against a team like QPR LFC who were on a long unbeaten run and with C&K Basildon's FA Cup tie postponed for a 4th successive weekend could either capitalise. Of course the game had to be on first January was a nightmare to find a game that was on the South East Combination teams have all suffered some almost having an 'off' season break let alone fortnights interuption lot of frustrated footballers out there. As it was waking up the weather was set fair the sky blue for a change mind you QPR's Honeycroft ground was a 132 miles away so I set off optimistically (certainly didn't want another drenching like I had last weekend).
     Blues skies and good time a cup of tea and I was all set for the match even had the new camera out to practise with. The Honeycroft pitch looked in good shape a little sand here and there otherwise everything was perfect for the match. The noteable absense for QPR was Sophie Fogarty as the home side in their blue and white hooped shirts and white shorts and socks lined up in a 4-3-3 formation their opponents in an all red kit more of a 4-5-1 with lone stiker Eden Washington (pictured below) up top.

The opening exchanges were fairly even with MK Dons looking to press QPR high up the pitch especially in midfield where they out numbered their opponents both teams had crosses in that period but no one could get on the end of one. QPR looked to be struggling to get the formation balance MK Dons were on top with Eden Washington looking to get the ball and turn as players tried to get in support on the flanks.
   It was then really against the run of play that QPR took the lead the three attacking players sticking to the task held their line and the ball found it's way to the feet of Leah Jones making her debut out on the left she ran clear of her marker, the keeper came rushing out to meet her on the edge of the box but she was sharper and slotted it past her into the empty net to make it  1-0. The goal certainly helped to settle down the home side skipper Elly Maggs could find some time on the ball at last they managed to slow the game down find space and look to build up attacks try to find a way through a solid and confident MK Dons back line. Maggs herself had a half chance with a slide/volley that she managed somehow to send goal wards only for the keeper to gather.

Stacey Sowden was having a quiet game as she herself adapted to the new formation but got a chance before the break that she dragged wide of goal. Leah Jones had another copycat break that had led to her scoring then but this time the onrushing keeper did enough to force her wide and the shot when it came was tame and easily gathered. At 1-0 QPR had the advantage going into the 2nd half.
   A slender lead but QPR had had 45 minutes to get used to the new formation a few tweaks and a half time substitute and they looked better organised. MK Dons couldn't find their lone stiker quite so easily the first 20 or so minutes of the 2nd half was a fairly uneventful affair shots were few and far between and these off target. Eden Washington was taken off as MK Dons looked to change thing's no soon after one of their defenders had to be carried off and replaced. The ball just wouldn't stick for the visitors. MK Dons Leah Cudone looked to get herself into the box with a driving run her shot however was pulled wide of goal.
   At the other end QPR broke into the box past two defenders but the ball was blasted straight and the keeper who recovered to gather the rebounded attempt. Into the last 15 minutes and the MK Dons players looked weary could not get the ball to stick up front. Into the closing minutes there was still the single goal one chance it could go either way the chance was Stacey Sowden's however. Had the ball played to her turned to get a yard on her defender going into the box who could only dive to push it away from goal Sowden pursued it and shot from an acute angle back agross goal beating the charging keeper and with it sealing the 3pts and go top of the South East Combination on goal difference from C&K Basildon.
 

 

  

   A valuable 3pts in the title race perhaps too much for MK Dons to do now but I can see why they are where they are have some good techical players who work hard for each other. Will Norwich's games in hands work in their favour it's a tough league no game is a give me,or will it be a two team battle till the end of the season? I will for certain enjoy finding out.