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Womens FA Cup Final 2006 - Match Report
Match Report: Monday, April 1 - 2006 Arsenal Ladies 5 Leeds United Ladies 0 Arsenal: E.Byrne, A.Scott (C.Daniels), M.Phillip (R.McArthur), F.White, L.Champ, L.Sanderson, A.Asante, J.Ludlow (C.Grant), K.Smith, R.Yankey, J.Fleeting. Leeds Utd: G.Fay, M.Cook (S.Walton), N.Haigh, L.Ward, A.Culvin, J.Clarke, N.Emmanuel, N.Preston (S.Owen), K.Burke, S.Smith, K.Walker (T.Panesar). Having done exceptionally well to reach their first ever WFA Cup final there were many people who doubted the ability of Leeds United Ladies to make a contest of their clash with Arsenal Ladies. It was imperative that the underdogs made a solid, assured start if they were to manage even that much. Instead their nerves were obvious from the start. Before two minutes had elapsed Leeds were on the back foot, clearing wildly, returning possession to Arsenal with reckless haste and inviting pressure. It was an invitation Arsenal hardly needed. Rachel Yankey had already skinned Mel Cook once when she escaped two half hearted challenges near the left corner flag to send a low ball across the face of goal which Lucy Ward mis-kicked badly and was lucky to see bobble wide of the far post. Yankey went across to swing in the corner and Ward, under pressure from Julie Fleeting, headed into her own net from three yards out. It was hard to fault Ward on the second incident, however. The woeful attempt of Gemma Fay to come and deal with the situation almost under her own bar was more blameworthy. Fay's alarming lack of inches had already been exploited. It was hard to see how Leeds could recover from this dreadful start and it soon became evident that they would struggle to create chances. Most of their service forward was hurried and speculative. Karen Walker, veteran of eleven previous finals, was hardly likely to be able to reach these hopeful passes ahead of a pacy and well organised Arsenal defence and on the rare occasions she did get there first she found herself desperately short of support. All over the pitch Arsenal were quicker and, more importantly, stronger than their opponents. This was a disadvantage which already looked impossible for Leeds to overcome. Kelly Smith was finding possession too easy to come by and Rachel Yankey was beating Cook with ridiculous ease. Most impressive of all, however, was Lianne Sanderson. Sanderson cuts a somewhat ungainly figure but this is hugely deceptive. She is tall and strongly built and has something of the loping gait of a Chris Waddle. Somehow her socks also look like ankle socks on her. She is a superb player already, however, and offers plenty of promise that she will become even better. The outstanding quality of her game is her vision, it is uncanny in one so young. She is strong on the ball with a good touch and, without having express pace, she is hard to catch when in full stride. She is also virtually impossible to knock off the ball. Much of her passing is exceptional. She can play it short or long and is always looking to hurt the opposition. Within ten minutes of the start she was running amok here. Sanderson came infield to slide a ball between defenders for Yankey to run onto and when the winger again drifted inside Cook with ease she was through on Fay. Yankey went for the near post with a firm shot but Fay got down well to parry with a strong hand. With ten minutes played Arsenal could have had a penalty. The referee had already ignored a foul on Kelly Smith in favour of an advantage when Fleeting stumbled inside the box after an edgy challenge by Karen Burke. The referee was in ideal position and gave the defender the benefit of considerable doubt. Nicole Emmanuel sent a testing ball forward in Leeds' best moment so far but Walker, again isolated, ended up doing well just to force a corner. There was no threat from the set piece though. Another sweeping pass by Sanderson looked to have released Kelly Smith but Ward was able to cover at the last moment. Then the roles were reversed as Fleeting made a clever run before releasing Sanderson with a neat ball. The youngster was halted by a marginal offside decision. Jess Clarke, who was working overtime to try and force her way into the game, produced a fine piece of play to make herself space and clip a precise ball behind Leanne Champ to release Burke down the right. Burke made a mess of her cross but almost got lucky as Emma Byrne had to be careful collecting at full stretch under the crossbar. Sanderson was again at the centre of things as she sent Smith away down the right. Smith's centre was perfect and Fleeting would have been more than disappointed to send her header looping just over the crossbar with Fay at her mercy. Then Sanderson combined with Yankey to send Fleeting clean through on goal. Unusually the Scottish striker showed indecision and allowed Ward to get back and block her eventual shot. The warning signs were all too evident, however. Nothing was clicking into gear for Leeds. They earned three free kicks in quick succession inside the Arsenal half which gave them the opportunity to load people into the box. Each one was overhit, however, and passed without incident. At the other end there was a threat every time Arsenal came forward. Anita Asante, showing for the first time, played a great ball to send Sanderson away and she had to be taken out cynically by Natalie Haigh just outside the area to prevent further damage. Haigh's booking was inevitable. Yet another superb ball inside Cook by Sanderson had Fleeting in on goal again but this time her control was lacking and she did not get a shot away. Then, on 33 minutes, the inevitable second goal arrived. Leeds tried to mount an attack down their left and Alex Culvin went forward on the overlap to offer an option. Alex Scott nipped in front of Walker to claim possession, however, and Leeds were immediately in danger as Arsenal broke with bewildering speed. Lucy Ward went for the interception as the ball was slipped forward to Sanderson but yet again it was the Arsenal player getting there first and all of a sudden it was five attackers against one defender. Sanderson drew the last defender before squaring perfectly to Fleeting who only had colleagues for company as she took a touch, steadied herself and slotted low into the corner of Fay's net. Two minutes later a foul on Sanderson gave Arsenal a free kick some 35 yards out towards the right hand side. Yankey whipped the ball into the box but hit it beyond the line of forwards straight towards the Leeds keeper. Again Gemma Fay was simply too small to deal with the situation and Arsenal had the softest of goals. Leeds valiantly tried to respond and produced their best effort when Burke got on the end of a good nod down by Walker to send a shot wide of the far post on the bounce. It remained too easy for Arsenal to create chances though. Faye White stepped forward to take out the entire defence with one straight, chipped ball over Ward. Fay had to be brave to save at Fleeting's feet as the striker looked to round her. Then Fleeting played a lovely first time ball to send Sanderson away and this time the offside flag was definitely out of order. The last of Arsenal's many first half chances came when Smith fed Sanderson who picked out Yankey at the far post but her volley screwed across the face of goal and ended up staying in play after rolling into the corner flag. For Arsenal the first half had been business as usual. For Leeds it had been a chastening experience. Half Time: Arsenal Ladies 3 Leeds United Ladies 0 The tone for the second half was set, just as it had been in the first, by a wild, sliced clearance by Alex Culvin which presented Arsenal with a gift corner. In fairness to Culvin she was the one Leeds defender who looked to have the pace, aggression and determination to live with the Arsenal attack. It was a thankless task, however. Kelly Smith turned a couple of defenders along the bye-line and pulled back into Sanderson's path. Her sidefooted finish drifted just wide of the far post. Then Sanderson was again the provider with a first time lay off which found Fleeting all alone on the left hand angle of the area. She went for the chip into the far post but did not quite get the elevation and Fay saved at full stretch. Mel Cook's unhappy afternoon was then cut short as she was replaced by Sophie Walton. Walton went into the midfield with Nicole Emmanuel taking over at right back. Emmanuel was immediately into the action, flattening Yankey with a forthright challenge after a smart turn and pass by Asante again threatened danger. Any thoughts that the switch might lead to Yankey being subdued were quickly dispelled, however. Within moments the winger ran at and beyond Emmanuel and Haigh with consumate ease to play the perfect ball for Fleeting. With the goal gaping Fleeting sidefooted wide of the far post. Then the move of the match saw Scott, Sanderson, Fleeting and Yankey combine before Kelly Smith sidefooted against the inside of the post from ten yards with another clear sight of goal. The second half was only ten minutes old and Arsenal could easily have already doubled their lead. Then Gemma Fay was called into action to keep the score down to three. Yankey, fed yet again by Sanderson, tried to curl the ball into the far corner but the keeper plunged to her right to save. Jess Clarke, a gallant performer, then made a determined run beyond three challenges before delivering a good cross which Walker headed back across goal. This should have produced danger but again the support was non-existant. Kelly Smith had no such excuses when she quickly made her way to the bye-line. With a cut back called for she rolled a ball across goal and Culvin was able to clear ahead of Sanderson. Culvin was then forced to take Sanderson out on the edge of the box as the pressure continued almost incessantly. Smith flipped the kick wastefully over the bar. It was beginning to resemble a shooting gallery as first Yankey and then Sanderson fired straight at Fay from opposite angles of the box. Yankey's next effort deflected wide off a despairing defender and then Smith, totally unmarked from the corner, fired well off target with her right foot. Then there was a farcical minute or so. Firstly the linesman flagged as Fay launched into a throw out to the wing from beyond her penalty area. The resulting free kick was dreadfully scuffed by Sanderson but somehow managed to pierce the Leeds wall and ran through for Fleeting who was denied by the feet of Fay. The constant nature of the Arsenal pressure was perfectly demonstrated when Culvin produced an outstanding block to deny Jayne Ludlow in the jaws of goal. Within seconds the ball was back with Arsenal and Yankey was speeding into the box. Jess Clarke desperately attempted to get back but only succeeded in sending the winger sprawling and this time the referee did point to the spot. Kelly Smith stepped forward to send a clinincal drive low into Fay's left hand corner. Four minutes later Lianne Sanderson got the goal her performance had certainly merited. The put upon Culvin saw her attempted clearance down the line charged down by Sanderson and was then left in her slip stream as the forward powered into the box. Sanderson bore right down on Fay before slipping a composed finish through the keepers' legs into the net for the fifth. Sanderson whirled away in obvious delight and she had truly earned the right to be happy after a spellbinding display. This was the end of the scoring which was a mercy for Leeds although there was little let up in Arsenal's approach. One of the late substitutes Rachel McArthur was just wide after more fine approach play by Smith and Sanderson while Gemma Fay completed a splendid second half display with further saves from Yankey and Faye White. Although a goal kick was awarded after White's 25 yard effort it looked as though Fay had got the slightest of touches for what would have been perhaps her best save of the game. The sight of Alex Culvin and Nicole Emmanuel both suffering with cramp in the closing stages was indicative of the pressure Leeds had had to endure and also a testiment to the width Arsenal had played with. Culvin, a competitive sort who probably rubs some people up the wrong way, was deserving of sympathy and respect as she battled on right to the end despite facing the worst of the Arsenal bombardment. When that was finally over Leeds would have had to feel relief that the final tally was only five against. It had been as one sided a final as anybody could have predicted or feared. Full Time: Arsenal Ladies 5 Leeds United Ladies 0 Star Player: Lianne Sanderson Sanderson's reputation is growing by the game and she was superb in this showpiece game. Sanderson has everything in her armoury providing for others and posing a goal threat herself. Her vision is outstanding and she shredded the Leeds defence time and again. Outstanding.
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