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Monday May 5, 2008. Womens FA Cup Final. Arsenal Ladies 4 Leeds United Ladies 1 Arsenal: E.Byrne, A.Scott, F.White, A.Asante, M.Phillip, J.Ludlow, K.Smith, C.Grant (Y.Tracy 74), K.Carney, L.Sanderson (J.Fleeting 74), R.Yankey (G.Davison 74). Leeds: C.Telford, S.Houghton, S.Bradley, J.Wright (G.Bonner 86), A.Culvin (O.Thackray 80), J.Moore (M.Sutcliffe 59), K.Holtham, S.Walton, J.Clarke, A.Barr, S.Smith. Leeds United returned to the FA Cup final for the second time in three years hoping to erase the memory of their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in the previous encounter. The Yorkshire club will feel better about themselves after this defeat although it needed an inspired first half display from goalkeeper Carly Telford to prevent this game turning into an even more severe rout. Telford produced a string of fine saves to keep the Arsenal forwards at bay as the favourites swamped their opponents. By the end of the game The Gunners had made almost fifty attempts on Telford's goal and on another day might easily have racked up double figures. Leeds had relied hugely on a solid defence in negotiating a tough route through to this final but on the wide open spaces of Nottingham Forest's City Ground it was always going to be more difficult containing the awesome Arsenal attack. The underdogs were not helped by an injury sustained last week by Nicole Emanuel, their dependable right back. Stephanie Houghton moved from midfield to fill in at full back but endured a torrid afternoon while her replacement in midfield, Jade Moore, never managed to get into the game. From the opening minutes it was clear that Leeds were going to spend most of the afternoon on the back foot as Arsenal swept forward in waves. A poor throw in decision gave Arsenal their first attacking opportunity and when Lianne Sanderson turned to spread play to the right wing Alex Scott was charging forward in acres of space. The full back was able to carry the ball deep into the penalty area before scuffing a shot goalwards which beat Telford but was hacked off the line by Sophie Bradley. Scott would spend the entire game bombing forward from full back and nobody in the Leeds side accepted the responsibility of tracking her. This gave Arsenal a permanent attacking outlet, one of many if truth be told. Having hit their stride Arsenal turned the first half into a procession towards Telford's goal but found the Leeds keeper in top form. Telford parried away a close range effort from Kelly Smith and then did superbly well to touch a searing drive from Scott onto the underside of the bar as the full back raced forward unmarked again. Telford made it a hat trick of good early saves by flinging herself to her left to keep out a stinging effort from close quarters by Sanderson after the forward had displayed nimble footwork to create her own opening inside the area. At no stage were Leeds able to lift this siege with a spell of possession as they were completely overwhelmed in midfield and the defenders were forced into hurried clearances. Soon Arsenal were attacking from all angles with Scott continuing to belt down the right and Faye White spending much of the first half as an auxilary forward. Indeed the England captain will have been disappointed not to find the net after receiving several presentable opportunities. Twice White was inches from connecting with free kicks expertly delivered by Sanderson and Smith while she would also miss badly when Karen Carney's inch perfect centre picked her out six yards from goal. The Leeds goal was leading a remarkably charmed life as Arsenal's pressure intensified but Telford was certainly earning her own luck as her defiance continued while the centre halves, Jess Wright and Sophie Bradley, were also deserving of praise. Bradley was especially impressive as she made any number of telling interceptions and blocks. Bradley was on hand to boot clear after Sanderson, with her back to goal, sent a clever flicked effort goalwards before Telford arched backwards to prevent a dipping drive from Jayne Ludlow creeping beneath the bar. Kelly Smith was now coming more into the game as Arsenal's dominance continued unabated and Alex Culvin was at full stretch to deny Carney going clean through from one long ball by Smith before a shorter pass from the same player had Scott roaring forward yet again but her cross-shot flew wide of the far post. Midway through the half Leeds seemed to have taken some of the sting out of the Arsenal pressure but this turned out to be merely the lull before another storm. Smith suddenly opened up the Leeds defence with another perfect pass for Scott who, bearing down on goal, should have scored but Telford's brave double save again rescued Leeds. Houghton looked wretchedly uncomfortable at right back and put her side in trouble with a dreadfully misplaced pass which gave Smith the chance to run at the Leeds defence. Smith played in Yankey who ignored the totally unmarked Ludlow, demanding the ball on the penalty spot, for a shot that was blocked by the Leeds defence. The danger wasn't over, however, and when Scott quickly returned the ball into the middle Carney was unlucky with a sweet half volley which flashed a yard or so wide of the post. Sanderson and Smith both fired over from distance before a ball over the top suddenly had Amanda Barr in behind the Arsenal defence at the other end. Barr finished well past the advancing Emma Byrne but the flag was already up for a correct offside decision. Considering that Leeds did not do much attacking during the game Barr was caught offside annoyingly often. It had taken Alex Culvin longer than usual to produce a nasty tackle but she finally did so with a naughty late one on Scott which went unpunished by the referee. Culvin would find her way into the refs' notebook later on, however. Bradley covered well to deny Sanderson after a neat exchange with Ludlow who then shot over as the ball dropped back into her path. Next it was Wright putting her body on the line to stop Smith but again the loose ball fell Arsenal's way and Sanderson was somewhat unfortunate to see her shot clear the bar after a good turn inside the area. As if Telford hadn't had enough to do the goalkeeper then offered Arsenal another attacking situation with a weak goal kick. The ball went straight to Smith who produced a magical cushioned volley to instantly release Carney through on goal but Telford made amends, stretching out a foot to save. The next flying save came from a different quarter as a falling Katie Holtham got both hands to a Ludlow effort but the referee gave the Leeds player the benefit of some considerable doubt. The chances kept on coming with Ludlow over from the edge of the box, White putting a snap shot narrowly wide and Scott slicing a left footed effort well wide while Leeds did manage to get forward to win a corner which Byrne had some difficulty in punching away under pressure at her near post. How the game had reached half time goalless was anybodies' guess but somehow it had done and Leeds went in at the break still on terms and knowing the possibility of an upset was still there. It was impossible to believe that they could hold out for another forty five minutes unless they managed to play some of the game in the Arsenal half, however. Half Time: Arsenal Ladies 0 Leeds United Ladies 0 Arsenal were not immediately able to regain the tempo of their first half onslaught and Leeds made their first meaningful attempt on goal when Houghton's corner was not properly cleared and Wright slammed in a good effort that was well blocked by Mary Phillip. The only scare for Leeds in the first ten minutes of the second half had come when Telford dropped a centre by Carney only to be bailed out by Bradley before they suddenly capitulated, conceding three goals in little over five minutes. Rachel Yankey was the provider of the all important first goal as she skipped away from Houghton all too easily before slipping a good ball into Smith, bursting into the box, and this time the finish, at full stretch, was clinical. Bradley did well to tackle Carney as the winger looked to dribble clean through the Leeds defence but it was once again an Arsenal player picking up the pieces as Yankey stepped forward to shoot wide. Sanderson then won her side a free kick just over the halfway line and decided to take the kick herself. The Arsenal striker took an eternity weighing up her options but it was time well spent for when she finally delivered the ball deep into the box it dropped over the heads of Bradley and White to find Ludlow ghosting in unmarked to score from point blank range. Leeds brought on Mel Sutcliffe in place of Jade Moore but before the substitute had a chance to find her bearings Leeds had fallen further behind. Sanderson and Scott, still enjoying the freedom of the right flank, combined well and when Scott squared the ball back into Sanderson her shot from just inside the box found the right hand corner with the aid of a deflection. This was effectively game over and the fear that Leeds might end up on the end of a thrashing was again a very real possibility. The introduction of Sutcliffe was a factor in an improved Leeds performance from this point on, however. With Houghton moving into midfield Sutcliffe took over at right back and showed far more energy, belief and commitment than her teammates had managed beforehand. This in turn seemed to galvanise some of her colleagues and there was now at least some action in the Arsenal half of the field. Sutcliffe came forward on an enterprising run but spoiled her good work with a weak finish before Leeds reduced the arrears out of the blue with an excellent goal. Sue Smith got on the end of a long ball forward before checking back to send a lovely chip over Byrne. The effort deserved a goal but instead bounced back into play from the far post. Fortunately for Leeds Jess Clarke was following up to head comprehensively into the roof of the net. As might have been anticipated this provoked a response from Arsenal who should have regained their three goal cushion within seconds. Yankey picked out Smith with a precise centre but Arsenal's golden girl headed wide with the goal at her mercy from eight yards. Bradley was again the Leeds saviour as she managed to deflect an effort from Sanderson behind for a corner and from this Ludlow produced a towering header which was cleared off the line by Barr. With just over fifteen minutes remaining Arsenal made a triple substitution and Culvin then earned her customary booking with a late challenge on Carney before being replaced herself by Olivia Thackray. Alex Scott was still driving forward at every opportunity and went close twice in quick succession. Firstly she saw a shot deflected behind by Wright before scooping over from the edge of the box after linking well with Kelly Smith. Both of Arsenal's attacking substitutes, Julie Fleeting and Gemma Davison, looked keen to get in on the action with Davison showing up well with several nimble dribbles. Davison showed great balance to ride two challenges before feeding Fleeting who curled a cute effort a yard wide of the far post. When Fleeting was then given another shooting chance she conjured a bending effort with the outside of her right foot which came back off the inside of the post and Smith was following up to tap into the empty net for Arsenal's fourth. There was no respite for Leeds as Arsenal continued to come forward in search of goals. Scott had a shot deflected over and Davison went on another run before shooting wide from twenty five yards. Arsenal's work ethic was then perfectly illustrated as the game entered stoppage time. Amanada Barr seemed to have put Clarke clear only for Kelly Smith to race back and clear the danger while the last action of the game saw Alex Scott flying forward yet again for a centre that Telford claimed easily enough. Scott's eagerness to get forward and dominate the opposition had been one of the clearest examples of Arsenal's overall superiority, however. Full Time: Arsenal Ladies 4 Leeds United Ladies 1 Star Player: Alex Scott Carly Telford was the official choice and you couldn't really argue with that after her first half heroics but my vote goes to Scott who was absolutely magnificent.
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