Millwall Lionesses 0-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles - I'm delighted with the point, says Alberto Kurti

MILLWALL LIONESSES  0-0  DONCASTER ROVERS BELLES
The FA Women’s Super League Two
Sunday 29^th June 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Eden Park Avenue

DONCASTER ROVERS Belles’ manager Gordon Staniforth says there will be twists and turns in the FA Women’s Super League Two title race after his side dropped their first points of the season to Millwall Lionesses.

Doncaster Rovers Belles arrived in Beckenham with a 100% league record from five league outings, but they were held to a goal-less draw by a Millwall Lionesses side sitting in third-place with two wins and two draws from their five games.

With player-of-the-match, England star Sue Smith, 34, impressing on the left-flank for the visitors’, they couldn’t break through a resilient Millwall Lionesses’ defence, with goalkeeper Sarah Quantrill, 24, outstanding.

Staniforth’s side dropped down to second-place after Sunderland leapfrogged into top spot by winning their sixth league game on the bounce with a 2-0 home win over Yeovil Town.

“I said Sunderland and ourselves will drop points, there’s no doubt about it. I think it will happen again,” said Saniforth.

“There will be twists and turns between now and the end of the season so it doesn’t surprise.

“We didn’t play very well. Let’s move on!”

But Millwall Lionesses’ manager Alberto Kurti, 29, said his side deserved their ninth point of the season.

“I’m delighted with a point,” he said.

“It would have been nice if we could’ve nicked three points right at the end but they’re a difficult side and we made it very difficult for them to try and break us down but I’m delighted with the overall performance of the girls.”

Kurti, who was promoted as the side’s manager in the 2011-12 season after previously being the club’s goalkeeper coach under three previous managers, admitted his players were raring to go following their five week break.

He said: “What it did is, you can tell with our girls, they were fresher, they were hungrier to play football.

“We had to sort out a couple of issues and bits and pieces to try to get players’ fit but overall you can tell with that little break it done the girls a world of good.”

Staniforth added: “No excuses! The pitch was perfect today. We’ve had an overnight stay, we’ve prepared well in the last two and a half weeks so I can’t give that as an excuse!”

The Lionesses, who suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Aston Villa in their last game on 25 May, created their first of only two chances after only 39 seconds.

Leeta Rutherford whipped in a cross from the right towards the far post where Shirvea Edwards made a run from the left flank to send her header agonisingly wide of the left-hand post from eight-yards.

“This is the beauty of this league, is when you get your opportunities and you get your chances, you’ve got to put them in the back of the net,” said Kurti.

 “Unfortunately for Shev she’s got just a little bit out of her but she got in the right area.  She made a run into the box and met the ball but next time if you give her an opportunity I’m sure she’ll put it in the back of the net.”

Staniforth admitted that chance kick started his side into action.

“I felt we got off to a poor start,” he said.

“That was a warning shot.  A cross in and a header that came close.

“I thought that would be enough for us to get going but it wasn’t to be, not our day.”

Doncaster Rovers Belles – who won the corner count 10 to 0 – went on to dominate the rest of the game.

Lauren Cresswell floated a free-kick into the penalty area but unmarked striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk glanced her header narrowly wide of the far post from ten-yards.

Midfielder Bethany England picked up the ball to go on a 30-yard run before drilling her right-footed shot harmlessly wide from 25-yards out.

Smith whipped in her side’s fifth corner of the game at the hallway point but neither Rhiannon Roberts nor Mille Bright could apply the headed finish as they both dived for the ball inside the Millwall six-yard box.

Millwall Lionesses’ goalkeeper Quantrill made her first save of the game when she dived to her left to push Sweetman-Kirk’s shot from sixteen-yards just around the post.

Cresswell then played the ball up to striker Sweetman-Kirk, who turned to drill a first time shot towards the top left-hand corner from 30-yards, which forced Quantrill to pluck the ball out of the air, high to her right, as the ball was heading towards the top left-hand corner.

The former Norwich City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool stopper pulled off her best save of the game on the half-hour mark.

Midfielder Kasia Lipka released Smith, who cut in from the left before cracking a dipping left-footed drive from 25-yards, which the diving Quantrill used her outstretched left hand to palm the ball over the bar.

Staniforth revealed Smith was touch-and-go for the two o’clock kick-off.

“She was very close to not playing,” he said.

“She’s had a groin injury and it was only at two o’clock she was passed fit to play so I felt she was tremendous today.

“She’s very experienced, she gets hold of the ball very well and it was a shame that shot didn’t go in.”

The Millwall manager was full of praise for his goalkeeper.

He said: “She’s a fantastic goalkeeper. She won the double (with Liverpool) last year and we’re delighted to have her on board but overall she’s a good kid. She wants to be here. She’s passionate about the club and you can tell with her performance today she was top drawer.”

Kurti added: “They’re a good side. Give them their dues. They’ve had that squad together for the last two or three years where in terms of us we’re still building. We’re still improving and we’re still trying to gel the team together but you could see out there, whatever Doncaster threw at us, we dealt with it.

“That was the hard work and the desire of my squad so I’ve got to be proud of my players.”

The second half, however, wasn’t as compelling as the first, but Doncaster Rovers Belles will be kicking themselves for not winning the game.

Lionesses’ right-back Naomi Cole chopped down Smith inside the opening five minutes of the second half, forcing referee Peter Conn to award the away side a free-kick.

Cresswell played a clever free-kick inside to the unmarked Smith, who was given time and space to deliver an excellent cross towards the far post but defender Leandra Little planted her header over the bar from six-yards.

Cole gave Smith another opportunity to whip in yet another quality cross which swung out to Millie Bright at the far post, who brought the ball down under her spell, turned and stroked her right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner from fifteen-yards, which was well held by the diving Quantrill.

But Kurti was full of praise for Cole, who kept going against a classy player.

“Naomi was tremendous,” he said.   “I’m not singling out any players who done well. I think all of my girls done tremendous today and they’ve got to be delighted with that form because they all put a shift in for each other and for the shirt.

“Hey, listen, Sue Smith, she’s a world-class player isn’t she?  Even though she’s getting on a little bit now!  She’s a fantastic footballer and what a joy to still for her maintaining those top performances and she’s going to be a player to watch over the years.”

Doncaster Rovers Belles attacked with a triangle of slick passes involving Cresswell, Smith and England down the left, but Sweetman-Kirk hooked her shot wide of the right-hand post in the 61^st minute.

You could sense frustration creeping into the league leaders as Millwall Lionesses’ shut the door.

The crowd of 155 had to wait until the final seventeen minutes for the next chance of the game.

A hooked pass from substitute midfielder Victoria Williams released Sweetman-Kirk through on the Millwall goal, but the striker was denied a chance of scoring her first goal of the season as Quantrill came off her line to smother the ball.

Millwall Lionesses’ defender Kylie Davies lost possession as she lost out on a crunching tackle on the halfway line and Doncaster hit the home side on the break. 

Jess Sigsworth broke swiftly and teed up her strike partner Sweetman-Kirk, who was denied a chance by a match-saving sliding tackle from Millwall’s left-back Frankie Strugnell.

Doncaster Rovers Belles continued to press for the winner and Sweetman-Kirk looped in their last corner of the game from the left, but Little’s towering header looped into Quantrill’s gloves.

Staniforth added: “She’s always be dangerous from set-pieces Leandra.  She scored a couple of goals away at Yeovil before the (five-week) break and we were just hoping towards the end there when we pushed her up that she’d get the winner but it wasn’t to be.”

Staniforth felt Cresswell should have done better with her late free-kick from 30-yards was caught by Quantrill.

He said: “She’s come up with some beauties in the past but that was a bit too straight and didn’t really trouble their goalkeeper.”

Millwall Lionesses received a slice of luck inside injury time when Smith whipped in an excellent low cross across the face of goal and Rhiannon Roberts slid in at the far post to poke the ball wide of the right-hand post from close range.

But despite all of those chances for Doncaster Rovers Belles, Millwall Lionesses missed an excellent chance to grab a last-gasp victory as two of their substitutes combined on the break.

Stevie Lamb split open the Doncaster defence to release Angela Kiobel through on goal but the striker lost composure and drilled her right-footed shot wide of the right-hand post from 25-yards, when she only had goalkeeper Nicola Hobbs to beat.

Kurti admitted: “We could have nicked it right at the end! 

“It was great entertainment. It was a good game and I’m delighted to be a part of it today.”

Staniforth added: “It’s always a chance you take. It’s one of those. We pushed Leandra up, we’re trying to get that winner. It’s always a chance that they might get a break and luckily enough for us, they missed the target.”

Both managers praised Beckenham Town groundsman Ian Muir for producing another pristine playing surface at Eden Park Avenue – despite the Southern Counties East Football League club stating the pitch wasn’t ready at this stage of the close season.

“You can tell the pitch is top standard,” said Kurti.

“It’s a fantastic pitch and the playing surface, no one can argue about it, it’s probably one of the best playing surfaces in the south of London.

“But being at The Den obviously gives you that little atmosphere and gives you that little buzz and makes teams a little bit more wary about you.”

Staniforth added: “Fantastic! What a lovely set-up this is, Beckenham Town Football Club.

“This is a dream to play on a pitch like that. I’m sure the groundsman has won some awards because that was beautiful.”

And reflecting on Doncaster Rovers Belles’ start to their campaign, Staniforth added: “There will be twists and turns. Teams will drop points. What we’ve got to do now is to re-group and get back on the trail of winning.”

Reflecting on his side’s campaign so far, Kurti added: “We’ve done ok.  We were a little bit disappointed with our last defeat versus Villa. We’ve gone and worked on it and we’ve showed it today, not to concede on set-pieces, not to concede on high balls in the area and yes, overall, so far we’re doing ok.

“It would be nice to turn a couple of those draws into wins but I’m sure, given time, we’ll do that.”

The Lionesses are in Cup action for their next two games, travelling to Berkhamsted to play Watford next Sunday, before welcoming Super League One giants Arsenal back to Eden Park Avenue on 13 July.

“Every game is winnable in my opinion,” said Kurti.

“We’ll be going to Watford and I’m hoping it will be the same high tempo, the same quality that there was the last time we played them.”

And looking forward to the crowd puller against Arsenal – who ended Gillingham’s interest in The FA Women’s Cup Fifth Round on 13 April - the Millwall Lionesses manager added: “It will be another good game. It will be another cracking game and it will be a game we’re really looking forward to – for our girls to match up versus some of the best players in the country - but we’ll focus on Watford first and then we’ll focus on Arsenal.”

Millwall Lionesses: Sarah Quantrill, Naomi Cole, Frankie Strugnell, Lilly Maple, Kylie Davies, Dionne Lennon, Shirvea Edwards (Snezana Malesevic 46), Leeta Rutherford, Kim Stenning (Angela Kiobel 59), Charelle Albert (Stevie Lamb 73), Lillie Fenlon-Billson.
Subs: Ciara Sherwood, Jade Dempster

Booked: Snezana Malesevic 81, Lillie Fenlon-Billson 88

Doncaster Rovers Belles: Nicola Hobbs, Lyndsey Cunningham, Leandra Little, Lauren Cresswell, Rhiannon Roberts, Bethany England (Victoria Williams 62), Sue Smith, Kasia Lipka, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, Jess Sigsworth, Millie Bright (Ashleigh Mills 62).
Subs: Megan Govier, Reanne Thomas, Emma Johnson

Attendance: 155
Referee: Mr Peter Conn (Gillingham)
Assistants: Mr Alexis Stacchini (Orpington) & Mr Peter Cruise (Rochester)