A confident and convincing away performance with goals from Helen Ogle and Annie Thomas helped Fulham climb to second in the London & Regional South East League after a 2-0 win over Dulwich Hamlet.
This was Fulham’s first visit to Champion Hill and the hosts put on a fine display, and not just on the pitch. The 460-strong home support was loud, passionate and encouraged by a shaky first few minutes for The Whites. An early mix-up at the back found Edie Kelly needing to use her best juggling skills in order to hold off a Dulwich threat.
Fulham soon found composure and, when play got under control, always looking a threat. Oana Negrea caused all sorts of problems for Dulwich with long range shots and commanding end to end runs that should have put Fulham up in the first 20 minutes. The hosts’ defence did well to stop numerous efforts from Helen Ogle and Katie Foster, who were supplied with cross after cross from Ellie Olds on the left. In the 28th minute, a free kick was awarded after a foul on Becky Stormer just outside the box. Gemma Taylor had the opportunity to work her magic, but the attempt frustratingly hit the bar. The Dulwich defence worked hard to block and clear Fulham’s chances and the first-half somehow ended 0-0.
The second 45 minutes were all about capitalising on missed opportunities. Following a tactical change with smart substitutions, the visitors applied consistent pressure to make the chances count. In the 48th minute, Fulham found the net, Ogle using the space on the right to score the first of the game. In what seemed a repeat move just a few minutes later, she almost doubled the score, but this time the keeper wasn’t fooled. Dulwich immediately broke, forcing The Whites to chase back, but the hosts’ 51st minute attempt went inches wide of the post.
When Lilly Lambird was fouled in an attack in the 55th minute, the referee played an advantage, enabling Annie Thomas to drive home Fulham’s second goal. The score looked sure to increase in the 64th minute when Negrea’s back heel pass fell to the feet of Olds, but her close-range attempt skimmed the bar. The pair linked up again in the 78th minute when Olds made a strong run from midfield but her shot on goal was denied, while her follow up, this time a cross to Negrea, was just too long for the forward to connect.
In the end, the missed attempts didn’t matter. The Whites worked brilliantly to keep a clean sheet, confidently take the win and are now enjoying a run of eight games unbeaten.
Fulham’s next opponents are Oxford United on Sunday 14th Novembe when the Tier 3 team travels to Motspur Park for the First Round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. With both sides on form and scoring plenty of goals, this promises to be a thrilling tie! Tickets are available through tickets.fulhamfc.com.
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: Edie Kelly, Mary Southgate, Becky Stormer, Gemma Taylor (87' Lilly Lambird), Tia Foreman (78' Megalie Mendes), Tessa Allen (85' Sophie Modak), Lilly Lambird (76' Emily Bird), Oana Negrea, Kate Foster (45' Annie Thomas), Ellie Olds, Helen Ogle (84' Kate Foster)
Subs: Emma Marlow, Emily Bird, Megalie Mendes, Sophie Modak, Annie Thomas