FA Women’s National League Cup Second Round

West Bromwich Albion Women 1 (Kehoe 70’)

Leeds United Women 1 (Hughes 31’)

West Brom win 4-2 on penalties.

West Brom: Johnson (GK), Sharp, Reynolds, Heselden, Haughey, Watkins (Orthodoxou 71’), Rabjohn (C), Warner, Sorrentino (Kehoe 64’), Jhamat (Robinson 56’), May (Oakley 88’). Subs not used: Clarke (GK), Evans, McFarlane.

Leeds: Simpson (GK), Elliott (Williams 106’), Legge (C), Cassidy, Darcie Greene, Hughes, White, Smith, Drew Greene, Gibrill-Keating (Ellis 90’), Dixon. Subs not used: Oates (GK), Waldron.

Venue: Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr

Referee: Jamie Law

Bookings: Watkins (West Brom) Williams (Leeds)

Leeds United Women bowed out of the FAWNL Cup after losing 4-2 on penalties away at West Bromwich Albion Women, after Alice Hughes opened the scoring in a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Simon Wood made one change to the side that ran out victorious away at Durham Cestria, with Izzy Elliott coming into the side in place of Ruby Waldron.

Following a moment of silence for Remembrance, the Whites made a quick start to the first half, as Shauna Legge did brilliantly to pick out Sian Gibrill-Keating in-behind, who tricked past her marker and delivered to the back post, where Chloe Dixon met the ball but was unable to hit the target.

Drew Greene then threaded Elliott into the box, who crossed and forced a smart intervention from a defender. Gibrill-Keating then did well to force the ball across the face of goal, but Johnson was down quick to collect.

After a busy first fifteen minutes, the clash calmed down, with West Brom getting a hold of the ball without posing much of a threat to the Whites’ goal, before a corner was awarded following a move down the left wing.

Chloe Dixon delivered a corner right on the line, looping over the ‘keeper to the back post where Hughes met and powered a towering header into the back of the net to give the visitors the lead!

After the opener, neither side saw a clear-cut chance, and the most action was a booking for Seren Watkins as she fouled Drew Greene in the defensive half, before the half-time whistle was blown.

HALF TIME: West Bromwich Albion Women 0-1 Leeds United Women

The hosts came out strongly after the break, as only two minutes after the restart, Ellie May was found in-behind and was forced wide by Legge, before striking wide of the near post.

West Brom continued to push for an equaliser as the game progressed, as Phoebe Warner and Monique Robinson combined neatly, before the former forced Carrie Simpson into a routine stop.

Monique Robinson was then picked out by Mia Sorrentino's cross, but she couldn’t keep her header down and fired over the bar from close range.

This pressure was eventually rewarded as fresh substitute Molly Kehoe ran in-behind and slotted past Simpson to level the score.

The second half lacked any sort of real opportunity for the remainder of the 90 minutes, with Dixon’s strike from the edge of the area the last of normal time, before progressing to extra time.

Leeds had the first opening in the additional half-an-hour, as Drew Greene picked up a loose ball on the left wing, skipping to the byline and crossing towards the far post. Dixon arrived and beat the ‘keeper to the ball but could only find the side netting.

A few half chances materialised as extra time continued, but neither team were able to break the deadlock, and the encounter went to penalties.

The Baggies progressed to the third round after four spot kicks, converting all but one as Smith’s and Hughes’ were saved.

FULL TIME: West Bromwich Albion Women (4) 1-1 (2) Leeds United Women