Womens Community Shield 2006
Wednesday August 2, 2006: Ladies Community Shield Arsenal Ladies 3 Everton Ladies 0 Arsenal: E.Byrne, A.Scott, M.Phillip, A.Asante, L.Champ (S.Larkin 88), K.Carney (G.Davison 82), J.Ludlow, K.Chapman (C.Grant 66), R.Yankey, K.Smith, L.Sanderson. Everton: D.Hill, B.Easton, F.Whelan, L.Johnson, R.Unitt, J.Scott (N.Harding 82), L.Duffy, K.McDougall (F.Williams 56), A.Kane, J.Handley, M.Evans (E.Westood 66).
The womens season kicked off with the Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Everton Ladies at Crewe's Gresty Road with Arsenal parading their two big summer signings, Katie Chapman and Karen Carney. Within seconds the Everton goal was under siege. Forging forward down the right both Lianne Sanderson and Alex Scott saw centres intercepted at full stretch before a Rachel Yankey corner was desperately scrambled clear at the back post. Everton manager Mo Marley had decided to leave England internationals Rachel Brown and Fara Williams on the bench and their presence was already being missed as Arsenal swamped the midfield and uncertainty between keeper and defenders was immediately evident. Kelly Smith sent in a hopeful, looping shot from thrity yards which dropped a couple of feet wide. Danielle Hill looked relaxed enough as she watched it go by but later events would make this apparent composure less certain. Everton earned brief repite with a couple of tentative attacks down the right where Becky Easton was as precise as normal with her distribution. She linked up twice with Amy Kane and on the second occasion Kane was similarly neat in slipping new signing Jill Scott clear towards the byeline. Scott's cross did not beat the first defender, however, and the corner was a poor result from such a promising position. Further encouragement was offered when Mary Phillip produced a wretched air shot as she looked to play the ball out of defence but the Everton forward line failed to punish the aberration. The play was almost totally towards the Everton goal, however. Kelly Smith drifted away from Leanne Duffy with alarming ease to send a dipping shot towards the bottom corner. Hill was at full stretch to produce a fine save. From the corner Jayne Ludlow had a fair chance as she got herself clear of markers at the near post but managed only the faintest of touches and the ball whistled by the far post. It was the sort of chance she normally gobbles up. Arsenal made more problems for themselves when a spot of keep ball at the back ended with Kane robbing Leanne Champ but Phillip was back sharply to cut out the centre. The Everton goal then had a remarkable escape when Lianne Sanderson sparked bedlam around the area with a wonderful through ball from inside her own half. Carney set off in rapid pursuit but Hill was out of her box to kick clear just in time. The clearance was awful, however, and landed at the feet of Ludlow. Her attempt to guide the ball back into the unguarded goal was similarly feeble but Hill decided against going across to take possession of the loose ball and Carney was the player alert to the opportunity. Rescuing possession she fed the ball back into the path of a colleague but the desperately retreating Everton defence was just about able to repel the danger. Easton and Kane combined again and Jody Handley put in a fine first time half volley from the centre but the ball fizzed just over Emma Byrne's crossbar. Hill was called upon to make another decent save from Sanderson's low shot after Carney had walked round Rachel Unitt to supply her but the keeper looked less convincing when she then came for the two corners that followed but failed to deal with either. The pace and movement of the Arsenal forwards was causing untold problems for the Everton defence who were, to be fair, receiving minimal protection from their midfield. Compounding their problems was the fact that Hill's clearances were seldom getting anywhere near the halfway line and allowing Arsenal to continually swarm forward. Carney and Yankey were switching wings with gay abandon and Carney especially was looking a threat. She was unlucky with a clever attempted reverse pass which Easton intercepted at full stretch and then Yankey shot wide having been fed by Sanderson after another sublime piece of control out on the left touchline. An Arsenal goal was looking inevitable and it duly arrived on 23 minutes. Depending on which camp you were in would have decided whether you thought it was a great goal or a soft goal. Kelly Smith picked up possession around forty yards out and made ground looking for the shot. As the defence backed off Smith sent in a strong, dipping drive which was, however, dead centre. Hill was wearing cement boots as she pawed at the ball and could only help it on its way into the net. Excellent play by Smith but surely Rachel Brown would have tipped it over the bar without fuss. Shortly afterwards the Everton goal had its most remarkable escape yet and again the trouble began with a weak clearance from Hill. Smith picked up possession and the ball was transferred through Carney out to Yankey cutting into the box. The winger placed a precise shot for the near post which the diving Hill could get nowhere near. The ball rebounded from the face of the post across goal where Lindsay Johnson just about smuggled half clear. Ludlow was onto the next loose ball and sent a shot slamming into the other post with Hill again clawing at thin air and when the ball was moved back to Yankey she saw her sidefooted attempt roll a yard wide of the far post. On the half hour Arsenal did extend their advantage and, in all probability, killed off the game. The entire Everton defence gathered in the centre of the area for a free kick some 45 yards out but Smith slipped the ball out to Carney, completely unmarked on the right wing. The winger sent in a deep centre to the far post and Hill again came without gathering. Chapman could only head away from goal but the ball rebounded from the hapless keeper back into her path and she bundled the ball home from a couple of yards out. For all their possession and territorial dominance Arsenal's lead had come about through two goalkeeping mistakes. Everton should have got back into the game immediately. Again they made progress down the right and having won a throw in Becky Easton slipped a probing first time ball down the side of the box. Handley gained half a yard on Phillip and sent over a perfect centre for Kelly McDougall at the near post. From six yards she completely scuffed her finish, however, and the ball bobbled harmlessly wide. With frustrating irony McDougall then sent in a sweet drive after Kane and Handley had set her up but from a much more difficult position the ball flashed a yard wide. A couple of promising Everton moves came to nothing and the difference of pace and ideas in the two forward lines was all too apparent. Jill Scott could not reach a fine through ball from Easton while Michelle Evans wasted two opportunities, firstly with a woeful centre behind the goal and then with a tame attempt at rounding Alex Scott. The first half ended, appropriately, with Arsenal threatening and Easton gained a yellow card for taking out Yankey as she looked to cut into the box. The Everton full back really is a star. Arsenal Ladies 2 Everton Ladies 0 A trip on Jill Scott gave Everton a shooting chance at the start of the second half but Unitt sent a weak effort straight into the wall. Other than the occasional set piece Unitt had yet to risk a venture over the halfway line which was disappointing. Although they had been mainly under the cosh her full back partner had looked to support her winger at every opportunity. For the most part, however, it continued to be a defensive exercise for Everton. Breaking quickly Smith slipped Sanderson through on goal but Hill did well to rob the striker plunging at her feet. There was a moment of panic in the Arsenal area when a short corner saw the ball bobbing dangerously around the box but there were too many Arsenal bodies in attendance for Everton to have a clear sight of goal. Again the danger was greater as Arsenal broke at full speed. Carney slipped the ball through towards Sanderson who, fearing the offside flag, made no attempt to play the ball. This left Alex Scott, running from deep, clean through but Hill was able to touch the ball wide from the full backs' first time effort. It was the time to have a touch and weigh up her options rather than go for the instant finish. Fara Williams was now belatedly brought into the action and she soon showed what her side had been missing as she linked up play with a series of crisp, short passes through the midfield. The two efforts she attempted from long distance were less praiseworthy, however. Leanne Duffy, instantly more involved now Williams was with her, sent in a lovely ball for Kane who in turn found Handley. Anita Asante covered well to block the cross but it was another moment when an extra touch would have benefitted the forward. At the other end Lindsay Johnson allowed the ball to run under her foot leaving Sanderson through on goal. The pacy centre half recovered to slide the ball back to her keeper although the challenge did look slightly suspicious. Yankey darted into the box and sent a fierce drive fizzing straight at Hill whose handling was suspect but, on this occasion, good enough. There was a lack of communication or understanding between Byrne and Asante when the keeper came to collect a harmless Amy Kane free kick only to be flattened by her centre half booting clear. The touch of Sanderson was still a source of delight and she released Yankey after one especially magnificent piece of control. Her floated effort just cleared the bar to land on the roof of the net. It took a superb challenge from the impressive Fern Whelan to deny Kelly Smith in the next attack before the Everton substitute Emily Westwood sent an ambitious 40 yarder sailing into the side netting at Emma Byrne's near post. Not surprisingly Westwood struggled to make much of an impact but it was certainly good to see her back in action. The game had also highlighted how important she is to Everton's plans. The support for Jody Handley, who looked a handful throughout, was totally inadequate from the flanks. Fara Williams finally got hold of one of her drives but the ball flew straight into the stomach of Byrne and then the busy midfielder engineered a bit of space to find Westwood out wide, she in turn found Handley but the strikers' effort passed wide of the near post. At least it looked like Everton's improved second half performance was going to see them escape further damage until another goalkeeping blunder gifted the Gunners a third deep into injury time. Sanderson produced one last sublime piece of control out on the left but her centre, decent at best, should have been easy pickings for Hill. Instead the keeper managed to let the ball squirm from her grasp and Gemma Davison was able to cap her late introduction with a tap in goal. I know it's probably irrelevent but the first thing I would tell Danielle Hill to do is to tuck her shirt in properly. Her display had been as untidy as her appearance. In truth this late goal had probably given the scoreline a proper perspective and nobody was left in any doubt at the end about the size of the task facing anyone wishing to make a challenge to Arsenal Ladies this season. Full Time: Arsenal Ladies 3 Everton Ladies 0 Star Player: Lianne Sanderson This was the perfect way to start the season after her magnificent efforts last time around. Young players can often suffer the season after apparently breaking through but Sanderson looks ready to improve on last season, brilliant as she was.
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