Heartbreaking end after Burton strike back twice
BURTON Albion fell to a heartbreaking 5-4 stoppage-time FA Women’s National League defeat to Solihull Moors after twice fighting back from two-goal deficits.
Kathyrn Pagan and Louis Jefferies gave the home side a two-goal advantage inside the opening 15 minutes before the Brewers sprung their first comeback of the game.
Mollie Garner and Ella Ritchie both scored and assisted before the break to level the score at 2-2, setting up an enthralling second half.
Jessica Lundie and Pagan restored Solihull’s lead, before two phenomenal strikes by substitute Danni Oxley balanced the scoreline again.
Sadly for the Brewers, that was not the last of the action. Deep into added time, Jefferies slammed home a winner for Solihull to take all three points.
The hosts came out of the blocks the faster, opening the scoring inside the opening two minutes. Jessica Lundie latched on to a long pass forward, dribbling the ball into the box before squaring to an on-rushing Pagan, who had a simple finish from close range.
Pagan was causing problems for the Brewers, going close to scoring her second moments later but her goalbound strike was headed for a corner by Charlotte Jarvis.
Despite being under the cosh, Burton always threatened on the attack. From the left, Ella Ritchie’s clever whipped ball into the box found Millie Drinkhall, but her volley failed to trouble the keeper.
But as the Brewers started to grow into the game, Solihull doubled their advantage. The dangerous Pagan found space behind the defence again and was brought down by Charlotte Heggs inside the area. Jefferies struck the spot-kick into the bottom corner.
Lundie came close to a third, shooting from the right side of the box and bringing a save from Heggs at her near post.
The save was vital for the Brewers, who halved the deficit in their next attack. Richie was the instigator, clipping the ball to a sprinting Garner. Losing her marker, the winger controlled the ball well before powering her effort across the goal and into the corner of the net.
The scores were soon level and the same combination worked for them again, with Garner pulling the ball across from the left and Ritchie tapping home the equaliser.
Going into the second half, Solihull regained control of the game.
Lundie chased a lofted ball over the top, catching the Brewers defence off guard.
One-on-one with Heggs, the keeper saved the original effort, but the ball rebounded back off the forward and rolled into the net.
Solihull made it 4-2 15 minutes later. A brilliant low cross by Annie Aykroyd evaded the Brewers defenders, finding Pagan who arrived at the back post to fire home her second goal of the game.
Back came Burton and after Ritchie had two shots narrowly missing the goal, it was substitute Oxley who made the difference. Taking aim from 35 yards out, Oxley lofted the ball over the keeper and into the net to make it 4-3.
Oxley took confidence from her earlier strike and scored an equally impressive goal four minutes later.
Having a free kick saved a minute earlier, Oxley tried her luck a second time and this time curled her effort into the top corner from a wide angle to level the score again.
A tense 10 minutes followed with both sides pushing for a winner but it was Solihull who found it, Jefferies’ emphatic strike from close range from the right of the box flying past Heggs.
After a heartbreaking defeat, Burton will turn their attention to a home fixture against bottom club Bedworth United on Sunday.