sunday, october 6, 2024
Live mobile data. Simplified.
Proudly based in Aylsham, Norfolk, Sekura.id is a truly global mobile identity company replacing usernames and passwords with the device we all have with us: our phones.
Sekura prevents payment and identity fraud too, seamlessly and securely with live data from over 75 mobile network operators and the SIM card in the phones of +2.5 billion people on six continents.
That’s over 92,000 full-capacity Carrow Road crowds, and growing fast, covered in real-time by Sekura during logins and transactions across banking, gaming, crypto, retail, e-commerce and more.
Chances are, if you’ve paid for something or used an app today, Sekura may well have made that payment or experience easier, faster and safer.
Welcome back, Steven.
I can assure you that all of the players and staff have prepared well for today’s fixture.
We are delighted to welcome you all back to The Nest this afternoon for our fixture against Real Bedford in the FA WNL.
Real Bedford are a side that took the Eastern Region League by storm last season, earning promotion to the FA WNL and have started this season in fine fettle. There is always an element of unpredictability when playing a newly promoted team for the first time, but I can assure you that all of the players and staff have prepared well for today’s fixture.
Many of you who follow our city team week-in-week-out will have noticed that our club captain Megan Todd has been sidelined since pre-season with a meniscus injury to her knee. Megan has worked very hard in her recovery, which has been aided by the fantastic support of our medical and performance team in Gillian Jenkins and William Davies. Megan’s recovery is coming along well, and we hope that it won’t be long before you see her in a yellow and green shirt again.
Last week against MK Dons Lara
Densley scored two excellent goals, showing calmness and composure in front of goal. We are all delighted for Lara, particularly as she is a player who progressed through our girls’ player pathway before impressing at Eastern Region side Wroxham.
Another emerging talent within our squad, is Amber Locker, who has completed a dual-registration to Needham Market. Amber enjoyed a successful spell with Needham Market last season, and this is another great opportunity for Amber to secure game time in the league below. As part of the agreement, Amber will not play for Needham Market in our FA Cup fixture next weekend.
We look forward to welcoming you all back to The Nest on Sunday, October 13 for our FA Cup third round qualifying fixture against Needham Market.
OTBC.
Andy Cook
We know we can improve and that’s so exciting and everyone should be excited about what’s to come.
Head coach Andy Cook reflected on a positive performance last weekend and gave an injury update on club captain Megan Todd in our latest catch-up.
A fantastic win against Tier 3 opposition Sunday, how would you summarise that performance?
It was a good win for us. We had to work hard and we still want to improve on moments in our game plan. I think that’s the most pleasing thing for me, we haven’t put together a 90-minute performance yet and we have played well at times, which we’re happy with, but we know we can improve and that’s so exciting and everyone should be excited about what’s to come.
Would you agree that we really have such a great depth in our squad, allowing you to drop senior players and still produce great performances?
Yeah, absolutely and it allows players to gain credit and build up confidence. Lara (Densley) and Cookie (Liv Cook) missed the Tuesday game but they started against MK and built up confidence to play against good sides and again same story, they can improve and will keep improving. The secret is you want to improve and win games too.
Another player we can be excited to have back with us is captain Megan Todd - how has her recovery been looking and are there any further updates?
Very good. Toddy (Megan Todd) is close, we think she might get a squad place before Christmas and to me, she’ll be like having a new player in the team. I’ve not really seen her play, so I can’t wait to have her in the team.
This weekend we face a tough opposition in Real Bedford, how are we setting up for that Sunday?
Yeah, they are good side and have some excellent players. I went to Bedford to watch their game against Cambridge and the goalkeeper was excellent, she was player of the match and that’s something we need to be aware of. Players like Tricia Gould and Abbie Bendsted are very good footballers who I’ve worked with and played against before, so we are prepared well and focused on the game. We just have to play now and earn the right!
Norwich City Women 3 MK Dons Women 2
Lara Densley was at the double for the Canaries on Sunday afternoon in the FAWNL Plate, as Norwich City Women beat MK Dons 3-2 at The Nest.
Tamsin Medd-Gill was also on the scoresheet as she netted on the half-hour mark for her second in as many games.
The knock-out competition brought plenty of rotation within the starting 11, with four changes to the side that drew against AFC Sudbury on Tuesday night.
It was a steady start from both sides, but the visitors mostly had control of possession.
The opener came from Densley, who was able to pounce on a loose ball in open space just outside the area, finding the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 inside of five minutes.
Millie Daviss and Freya Symonds would both test Anna Draper in goal for the Dons from distance but with no joy.
City continued to enjoy a strong spell of the game, and their efforts were rewarded after 30 minutes.
Medd-Gill then extended City’s lead after an interception from Olivia Cook gifted her a lovely half-volley fired shot that went straight into the back of the Dons net for the second of the match.
The first attempt for the visitors came just before half-time when Chambers got a weak shot goalward, that Sarah Quantrill collected with ease.
Into the second half and City tried to inflict further damage on the Tier 3 side early on, as Issy Moore tried a crisp shot from the edge of the area but Draper dived low to scoop it up.
Down the other end, the Dons created a dangerous attacking play as Sophie Byrom escaped Hope Strauss and crossed past Quantrill in goal but Ceri Flye was alert to the danger and cleared the ball to safety.
Milton Keynes left Hailes unmarked on the edge of the box and were nearly punished as the number 19 fired goalward from distance, just wide of the target.
A consolation goal was then clawed back by the visitors as Annaliese Jacovides headed a looping shot towards goal that ended up in the bottom corner of the net.
The goal didn’t unsettle City for long as Shannon Shaw did well to battle for possession deep in the Dons half and set Densley up for a lovely strike for Norwich’s third and her second.
With four minutes left of normal time, the Canaries continued to press high and did have the ball in the back of the net from a corner but it was ruled out for offside.
Jacovides did snatch a second for herself and the visitors deep into injury-time but it wasn’t enough to push the game to extra-time.
Lara densLey
Freya syMonds
Feature interview
Lauren Tomlinson
City midfielder Lauren Tomlinson is in the spotlight this week for our programme interview, talking about beating MK Dons last week, her return from injury and the camaraderie in the squad.
A big win Sunday against a Tier 3 side, how did that result feel?
Beating a Tier 3 side no matter where they sit in the table is a fantastic win! It reminds us that that’s where we belong and where we can thrive. It gives everyone that extra little bit of motivation and self-belief.
What did you make of our performance as a whole; we seemed much more confident compared to the last two league results?
It was great to see everyone in such great spirits. Even though we drew the last two league games morale is still high. We’re very good at putting results behind us and focusing on the now and the future. We can’t change the past and everyone knows that, we all just work harder for the next week.
We played football how we wanted to play and executed our plan well especially with different players stepping up. The scoreline doesn’t reflect how much we dominated.
We know we can’t win every game and there is a lot of pressure on City to do so this year, but what was the mood like in the squad after the draw to Sudbury and the draw to Chesham the week before?
This league is very unpredictable and there are always interesting results. Credit to Sudbury who clearly had a game plan and they executed it really well. We are expecting teams to play us with a strict game plan as we are the team that people want to make their mark on and beat.
We were obviously disappointed with the two draws and lots of the girls see these games as losses as our standards we set ourselves are so high and we know we can do better. But moral is always great, as I said we move on quickly and focus on the now.
How did it feel getting your first competitive minutes back out there on Sunday after a few weeks out?
THE DEEP DARK SIDE OF DETECTIVE WORK
FRIDAY 18 TH OCTOBER, 7 pm gunn club , carrow road
It was the most wonderful feeling, I truly love playing football and finally getting the cast off was such a relief! Coming on last Sunday I was slightly nervous but the moment I stepped on the pitch it was like I had never stopped.
Credit to Issy, who has been fantastic, I have been her number one supporter over the past six weeks. She is such a massively talented player and I have high aspirations for her. I can’t wait to continue to watch her grow as a player.
Just talk us through your injury you picked up against Dulwich Hamlet, for those who don’t know. What happened and how has recovery been?
During Dulwich in the 60th minute I was making a run down the line and was fouled and pushed off the ball. At the time myself and Gill thought it might be a sprain. I played pretty much the rest of the 90, took the classic Tommo throws and thought nothing of it!
After the game, the swelling was more significant so I went to A&E Monday morning,
where they told me I had a distal radius fracture and I would be in a cast six weeks.
I still have a lot of rehab to go but it’s great to be back getting minutes. Credit to Gill and Will who have been keeping me busy and ticking over.
Even though you’ve not been playing on the pitch, you’ve still played a really important part off the pitch on the bench, supporting and encouraging the team. Is that something the coaches have encouraged, or does it come naturally to you?
It does come naturally and is no effort at all because I love it! Nothing is more satisfying than coming to every game and being part of the atmosphere. Each and every player makes me so proud every week and I couldn’t miss out on this. Lara said it in her interview about us being a little family and that is exactly what we are.
I simply love playing for Norwich and have so much love for the girls.
I love to see the younger fans at the home games and there is no better feeling than playing in your team’s home town.
The camaraderie in the group this year seems like the team is closer than ever. Have you been up to much as a group outside of training and matchdays?
We do try to meet up, but we see each other four times a week now so we are around each other for a significant part of the week! We recently went to laser quest and all 30 or so of us, including staff had a great time. As much as we love being on the pitch, we all know the importance of team building and we did exactly that on Monday.
Seeing everyone in a different environment is paramount to our success because we must keep the fun as well as having the serious.
This weekend we play Real Bedford, a team also challenging for that top spot. How do we set up for this game and prepare for a potentially really important fixture?
I don’t think we change how we prepare, every game in this league is a big game. We understand where they have come from and the situation in which the club has formed but that changes nothing for us. We focus on us and how we play. We were unbeaten apart from one last season, so we have everything it takes to compete in this league.
We will have our analysis, gym and pitch sessions to enable each player to be in the best position to compete on Sunday. We know it won’t be easy, but we know what we want and everyone has the passion to win.
Finally, including Sunday just gone, we will have had four home games in a row, compared to last week’s scheduled three away games in eight days. Do you have a preference on where we play or do you like the ‘experience’ of an away day?
The Nest is our fortress as cheesy as that sounds. It is hard to come to our home and beat us. No one beat us in the league last season at home and even Hashtag in the cup couldn’t manage it! Although I love the bus on away games, I have to say I prefer the home games. I love to see the younger fans at the home games and there is no better feeling than playing in your team’s home town.
Our facilities at The Nest and at Carrow Road for home games are often unmatched so we know we are lucky to play here each week.
Opposition Overview: Real Bedford
This weekend we welcome Real Bedford to The Nest in a table-topping Division One South East clash.
Today’s visitors joined the league following promotion from the Eastern Region Women’s Football League.
They signed new head coach Charlie Bill over the summer from MK Dons and made 14 new signings, 10 of which were also from the Dons.
The Pirates have had a flying start to life in Tier 4, remaining unbeaten in all fixtures and picking up 11 points out of a possible 15.
Their most recent outing saw them travel to Wales to face Gwalia United (formerly Cardiff City) in the first round of the League Cup.
After initially going behind, Bedford scored twice in the final 20 minutes through Nicola Puddick and Sofia Stovold to progress to the next round of the competition.
Chardonnay Johnston
Place of birth
Millie Daviss
8 2
Gorleston
Position
Centre-back
Nickname
Chard
First pair of boots
Adidas Predators
Favourite food
Carrots
First choice of snack
Carrot sticks
Favourite drink
Pepsi Max cherry
Last thing you do in the dressing room before a match
Place of birth
Gorleston
Position
Centre-mid / full-back
Nickname
Mills
First pair of boots
Old school Nike Mercurials
Favourite food
Pizza
First choice of snack
Apple and peanut butter
Last concert you went to Coldplay in Dublin
Last thing you do in the dressing room before a match
Turkey Get to know...
Put a new piece of chewing gum in
Pre-match song of choice
Price Tag by Jessie J
Who do you sit next to on the bus to away games
No one
Best football match you’ve ever watched
Women’s Euros final
Last holiday destination you visited
Have a rave with the girls
Pre-match song of choice
Homecoming by Kanye West
Who do you sit next to on the bus to away games
Tamsin Medd-Gill
Best football match you’ve ever watched
Barcelona v Seville
Last holiday destination you visited
Rhodes
Visit nuffieldhealth.com/book-a-tour to
or
.
We’re dedicated to building a healthier nation through our network of hospitals and fitness and wellbeing centres across the UK. For supporters of Norwich City FC you’ll find everything you need at Norwich Fitness & Wellbeing Centre – cutting edge equipment, supportive personal trainers, swimming pool and a full range of classes. Away
Head cOacH: andy cOOk
Freya syMonds
Lauren HaILes
Issy Moore
Lauren toMLInson
sHannon sHaw
oLIvIa cook
jess barnes
HoPe strauss
taMsIn
katIe knIGHts
Lara densLey
sIenna booty
cHarLotte Pernet
HoLLy kennard
aMber Locker