Town fight back from three down to clinch thriller
TOWN Ladies pulled off an incredible comeback to draw 3-3 at Charlton Athletic before prevailing 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out in the fourth round of the SSE Women’s FA Cup.
Strikes from Brittany Sanderson, Laura Elford and captain Kate Mallin saw Town take the game into extratime, before Katie Nutter scored the decisive spot kick after Laura Carter’s brilliant stop.
Town Ladies move into the last 16 of the competition and are the only club to do so who play their football outside the top two leagues of the women’s game.
Town were 2-0 down at half-time as goals from Kit Graham and Charlotte Gurr helped Charlton assert their dominance as the higher-league side.
And when Graham slotted home her second for the hosts’ third on 67 minutes, all hope appeared lost for the travelling Terriers.
But then, with just 15 minutes to go, the tables turned.
Huddersfield had been delivering crosses into the Charlton box relentlessly in the second half and, finally, they got it spot on.
The ball was whipped in at pace and after the hosts failed to clear, Sanderson was on hand to stretch out a leg and divert the ball beyond the despairing keeper to give her side a lifeline.
Suddenly, all the momentum was with the visitors. And they struck again, virtually from the restart.
Town won the ball high up the field and direct build-up play sent Laura Elford through on goal. The striker placed the ball into the back of the net and Town were well and truly back in the game.
By this point Charlton, who came out for the second 45 half asleep, had been taught a lesson as they simply couldn’t handle the Terriers’ determined pressing.
On 73 minutes, no-one could have predicted it, the comeback was complete. Town continued to get in the faces of their opposition, who have a reputation of playing rough themselves, and duly got their just rewards.
Mallin had been a thorn in the side of the home defence throughout the match and after an initial shot was well blocked, the skipper was on hand to fire the ball past Katie Startup in the Charlton goal to send the game into extra time. Town created a host of chances in the added 30 minutes, but were unable to convert for what would have been the winning goal. So it was to be decided by penalties.
After Mallin stepped up to cancel out Lily Agg’s opening spot kick, Carter threw herself to beat Elizabeta Ejupi’s effort away and give her side a crucial advantage.
Sarah Danby, Sanderson and Elfordthen converted the following Town penalties and after Charlton followed suit, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Nutter.
The No.7 shrugged any doubt away before calmly placing the ball straight down the middle of the goal to send the squad into raptures as she and her team-mates piled on top of fellow heroine, Carter.
Town now face the task of refreshing in time for tonight when they face Doncaster Belles away at 7.30pm, with manager Ashley Vickers expected to make a host of changes.
And then, it’s the big one - West Ham United away in the fifth round of the SSE Women’s FA Cup.
Another win in the capital would see Town Ladies reach the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
It will be a hugely challenging match, but they defied the odds to beat Charlton.
Nutter shrugged away any doubt before calmly placing the ball
down the middle