Arsenal wins the 2005 Community Shield

Arsenal 4 Charlton 0
Thursday, August 4, 2005
National Hockey Centre, Milton Keynes.

By Colin Aldis

The traditional opener for the English soccer league is the FA Community Shield played between the previous season’s Cup winners and League winners.

The 2005-06 season opener was between Arsenal, winners of the league in 2004-05 and trying to win 5 titles this season, and Charlton Athletic, who won the FA Cup for the first time in May 2005.

Charlton Athletic beat Arsenal to win the 2004 FA Community Shield last August.

Scoring
Arsenal Grant (Penalty Kick)13th. minute
Arsenal Ludlow, 15th.
Arsenal Sanderson, 60th.
Arsenal Ludlow, 93rd.

Arsenal
Byrne, Emma (GK)
Pealling, Kirsty (Davidson, Gemma,32)
Tracey, Yvonne
Champ, Leanne
Phillip, Mary
White, Faye (Capt)
Ludlow, Jane
Grant, Ciara
Sanderson, Lianne
Asante, Anita
MacArthur, Rachel

Manager Vic AkersCharlton Athletic
Cope, Pauline (GK) (Cabey-Gooden, Ebony, 46)
Stoney, Casey (Capt)
Hills, Karen
Wooliscroft, Sarah (Coss, Emma, 46)
Sinclair-Chambers, Donnique
Williams, Sian (Bertelli, Maria,46)
Murphy, Danielle
Chapman, Katie
Hunn, Alexa
Ritchie, Gemma
Aluko, Eniola

Substitutes not used
Walker, Carmaine
Heatherson, Ann-Marie
Smith, Jessica

Manager Keith Boanas

Referee Amy Rayner

Match report
Arsenal took the lead from a penalty, after new signing Rachel McArthur went over in the area, with a challenge from Donnique Sinclair-Chambers. Ciara Grant stepped forward to hit the spot kick too close to former England keeper, Pauline Cope who pushed it down, but only back to the Irish international, who did well to lift the ball into the roof of the net.

With both Kelly Smith and Julie Fleeting injured, Jayne Ludlow moved into a forward position, and added the second goal with a neat finish, beating Pauline Cope from 25 metres.

At the start of the second half, Charlton made 3 changes, but it was Arsenal having some luck on the hour mark, as a corner led to Lianne Sanderson striking a shot from just 8 metres, and Karen Hills on the goal-line could not stop the ball bouncing behind it.

Despite Charlton creating as many chances as their north London rivals, it was player of the match, Jayne Ludlow who had the last word, hitting a superb stoppage time volley over substitute keeper Ebony Cabey-Gooden.

So the first silverware went to the 'Gunners', and it will a brave person to bet against them getting more before the end of May 2006.