NATIONWIDE WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE
Addicks close the gap
Thursday, 18 November 2004.
Hello everybody. Last weekend was a good one for me and for Charlton, as we beat Bristol City 1-0 to go level on points with Everton at the top of The FA Nationwide Premier League National Division.
Eniola Aluko got the only goal of the game and she is doing very well. I’m really happy for her. It is good that she is getting some goals behind her and you can now see the confidence oozing from her.
The League this season is just getting tighter and tighter at the top and we will just keep fighting hard and see how it goes. Arsenal did us a favour at the weekend by beating the League leaders Everton but they are now a real threat, being just five points behind us with three games in hand. Every game in this League is hard, though, so it is not going to be easy for the Gunners and there will be some surprise results along the way.
Arsenal are doing really well in Europe and so they are still involved in four competitions which may count against them at the end of the season. But I am sure they are all up for it and Arsenal always want to do well.
The big games keep coming this season and we are making the long journey north this weekend to face Everton in a top-of-the-table clash. I’ll be up against a former Fulham team-mate again, Rachel Unitt, but when I am on the pitch I have no friends. It would be nice to all get back playing together again but I don’t think it will ever happen.
On a different note, I was shocked to win the Nationwide Women’s Player of the Month award for September. I personally didn’t think that I had been doing that well and for Charlton I feel I could have done better so it was a surprise. The award for October will be announced soon. I think my form could have been better last month but I think that is me just being hard on myself. I am my own worst critic and put extra pressure on myself, which I don’t really need!
Next week will be busy because straight after my game with Everton on Sunday I will be meeting up with the rest of the England squad in Accrington for another training week. It is really good for us to get together and work on things without the pressure of a game and it can only do us good as we build up to next year’s UEFA European Championship.
'Bye for now and I will speak to you soon.