On Sunday 29th September Leyton Orient Women travelled to Cheshunt for the annual Sharron Calo Harris Memorial Cup.

There were eight teams taking part so Orient faced seven matches of twelve minutes. The top two teams would play off for the Cup and third and fourth place would play off for the Plate. This was a competition with very many familiar faces playing for various teams.

Leyton Orient’s first match was against Southend Greens. An early not-walking offence gave the Os the advantage which led to a shot on goal from Baker which went too high. The Greens replied by going directly up the other end of the pitch with a shot that also went wide. Pressure from Orient led to two high ball blocks. Another not-walking offence by the Greens led to the ball being passed to Handley on the edge of the area. Handley managed to get free of her marker and her shot sailed into the goal. Orient defended well to maintain their lead. Final score: Southend Greens 0 v 1 Leyton Orient (Handley).

The next match was against Cheshunt Calos. This was a tight match with Leyton Orient marking closely. There was early pressure from Calos leading to some early shots which were well saved by Williams. Towards the end of the match a Calos’ player got free and she sent a powerful shot goalwards. Although Williams got a glove to it, she was unable to stop it. The Os continued to press and had a shot saved from Ahlstrom but they were not able to find an equalizer. Final score: Leyton Orient 0 v 1 Cheshunt Calos.

Next up were Cheshunt Harris. In an early move Baker passed to Ahlstrom whose shot went wide. Harris had a defected shot saved by Williams followed by another save straight after. Os continued to press and pass well. Despite this pressure leading to multiple corners the Os were not able to press home their advantage. Final score: Leyton Orient 0 v 0 Cheshunt Harris.

Orient moved on to face North London United. This was a game of few chances for either side although Williams made a great save – a long range shot from our friend, Andrea Ireland. Orient got the ball to the edge of the area plenty of times but were unable to put the ball in the net. Final score: Leyton Orient 0 v 0 North London United.

The next match was against Steppers WOC. This was another very competitive match with tight marking from both teams. Steppers got in an early shot but were thwarted by Williams in goal. Handley was particularly close marked and suffered from having her toes stepped on more than once. However, she got her revenge by getting hold of the ball on the edge of the area and shooting straight into the net. After that, Orient held on to their lead with only one nervous moment when Charmaine Bent shot from long range but this was well saved by Williams. Final score: Steppers WOC 0 v 1 Leyton Orient (Handley).

The next match was against Southend Whites. Orient began well with early attempts on goal by Baker, Kavanagh and Ahlstrom. An attack from the Whites led to a shot that nearly made its way into the net but Williams managed to get hold of it. This then led to Kavanagh breaking free and shooting from distance. This took everyone by surprise and the shot sailed into the goal. The ball did go into the net again but, unfortunately, Baker was penalized for not walking and so her goal was disallowed. Final score: Southend Whites 0 v 1 Leyton Orient (Kavanagh).

The final match of the round robin phase was against Paringdon Pirates who won both the Essex Women’s League and Cup Competition this year. This was a very tight game. Leyton Orient defended really well and allowed the opposition very few chances. The Os played good pass and move football leading to quite a few chances but no goals. Leyton Orient felt they had done well to hold the Pirates to a goalless draw. Final score: Paringdon Pirates 0 v 0 Leyton Orient.

At the conclusion of the round robin Cheshunt Calos were sitting at the top of the table, Leyton Orient second, Paringdon Pirates third and Southend Greens fourth.

Southend Greens beat Paringdon Pirates to win the Plate.

Orient played Cheshunt Calos in the final. The was an exciting, competitive final played for 15 minutes with no half time. Leyton Orient scored first through Handley but were unable to hang on to their advantage with Calos’ top striker hitting the target again. The two teams battled well but no more goals were scored. The drawn final meant that the Cup was decided on penalties and Cheshunt Calos won. Final score: Cheshunt Calos 1 v 1 Leyton Orient (Handley) – Cheshunt Calos won on penalties.

The Leyton Orient players all received medals and Clare Kavanagh was declared Orient’s player of the tournament.

Captain Selner summed up the day by saying, “Incedible performances by everyone today and we played well as a team, took our time and kept possession patiently waiting for our chances with some excellent finishing by Frances. Clare was player of the day with her tireless cover of the wings, defending and attacking with the winning goal in one of the games! Bravery from the penalty takers and on another day they will go in. Up the Os!”

Leyton Orient Squad: Andree Selner (Cpt), Chris Williams (Gk), Sam Baker, Johanna Ahlstrom, Anna Murray, Clare Kavanagh, Alison Kay, Frances Handley

Goalscorers: Handley 3, Kavanagh.

© Copyright 2024 Leyton Orient Walking FC
Image used © 2024 Trevor Ridley

Location

The Stadium, Theobalds Ln, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross EN8 8RU, UK