Report by Jonathan Coles
Another crucial step in Thames Women FC’s season came with a 6-2 victory over Cambridge Rubies, leaving them on the brink of title glory.
If there were any nerves on this critical day, Thames didn’t let them show. A fast start set the tempo and produced the opening goal. Jess Rendall was alert to intercept a pass before bursting forward to outrun the covering defenders and applying a neat finish for 1-0.
Fifteen minutes later, the lead was doubled. Rendall again underlined her potency in front of goal, firing in her second after an inch-perfect through ball from Beth Powell, capping off a brilliant opening half-hour for the visitors.
Cambridge began to settle and started to pose a threat on the counterattack. One sweeping move down the right found Anna Waddell in the box, but her shot was well saved by Bryony Wayne in the Thames goal.
After withstanding a sustained spell of pressure, Thames grew back into the game and ended the half in the ascendancy. A swift passing move between Megan Jamieson and Keltie McManus found Rendall in the box, but her shot was pulled just wide of the near post. The second half continued in a similar vein, with Thames creating chances at will. A long clearance from Taimania Hinds was well controlled by Ariel McNab, who turned neatly but fired over the bar.
McManus was next to come close when a Cambridge goal kick was intercepted, but her snapshot rebounded off the post and back into play. Thames added their third and fourth after a series of slick passing moves. First, Rendall weighted a pass to McManus, who powered through the defence and applied a trademark finish. Then a throw-in from Adelle Brown found McNab, who played a neat one-two with Rendall before dinking the ball superbly over Ariana Hawker in the Cambridge goal for 4-0.
Thames had defended astutely all afternoon, but Cambridge pulled one back from a wide free kick to give themselves a flicker of hope. However, that was soon extinguished as Thames added their fifth to put the result beyond doubt. McManus drifted in a cross from the left, finding Rendall in the box.
Her initial shot was well saved, but Powell reacted quickest to finish smartly. Another defensive mix-up gave Cambridge their second goal with just minutes remaining, but it was Rendall who had the last word. The winger had been a thorn in Cambridge’s side all afternoon, involved in every promising attack, and she capped off the day by sealing her hat-trick. Another through ball sent her racing clear and, for the third time, she slipped the ball neatly into the net-capping a wonderful player-of-the-match performance.
The title could be sealed next week as Thames welcome Northern United to Rhodes Park. United sit one point behind in second, meaning a win would secure the championship ahead of Thames’ cup campaign.
“That was a fantastic win against third in the table,” said coach Xavier Brown. “Now it all comes down to next week against Northern United – it’s the title decider, and we can’t wait for it.”
Elsewhere, it was a dismal day for Thames Men FC, who were comprehensively beaten by a slick and efficient Northern United Debacles side.
Misdirected defensive passes gifted the opening three goals, with the hosts capitalising to put the game beyond reach inside 20 minutes. Northern went into half-time 4-0 up with well-taken games from John Togher and Jordan Goodrich.
A more resilient Thames emerged after the break, with damage limitation the priority. Despite their efforts, Northern comfortably protected their clean sheet, with Thomas Horrox rarely troubled in goal. Michael Pouwels added a fifth late on to seal Thames’ heaviest defeat of the season in their penultimate match. They now welcome title-chasing Waihi to Rhodes Park next week for the season finale.
