Shoot-out woe for Ladies at semi-final stage
HOLDERS for the last two years, Runcorn Linnets Ladies suffered Cheshire Women’s League Challenge Cup heartbreak on Sunday when losing a semi-final spot-kick shootout at Stockport County Ladies Development.
With the tie level at 1-1 after 90 minutes, extra-time could not separate the two teams, there being no further scoring.
After two hours of football, it all came down, therefore, to the dreaded penalties which saw Stockport triumph by five kicks to four to earn a place in next month’s final.
Runcorn had for the fourth time this season travelled along the M56 to Stockport Sports Village after losing on their three previous visits. Linnets Ladies were seeking to become the first team to win the trophy three times in succession but, after a transitional season, were very much underdogs.
With an unfamiliar formation – a few players playing out of position in an attempt to stop the fast, energetic County – Runcorn Linnets Ladies for the first 15 minutes looked a little shaky. But as they settled into the game and a new style of play, they held their own, creating a few good chances while restricting the home side to long, speculative efforts.
On 38 minutes, Chelsea Gillies started and finished a good footballing move to give Linnets a deserved lead.
The midfielder, fantastic all season, pressed the Stockport player in possession forcing a rash clearance that ricocheted back into the path of Gillies. The young player made her way into the box to coolly place the ball beyond the Stockport goalkeeper.
During the interval, the Runcorn management team of John Pickering and James Sidwell praised the efforts of all Linnets players but reminded them discipline would be key in the second half.
Lile Ashley had enjoyed a fantastic first half, proving a constant thorn to the County defenders. However, still struggling with a slight groin strain, she was replaced at the interval by Marcia JonesSarcharewicz.
Within five minutes of the re-start, JonesSarcharewicz finished off a move involving Gillies, but an offside flag pulled the play back.
Despite a fine save by Bek Durr, the hosts won an early corner on the right. As has happened so many times this season, the set-piece undid the Linnets rearguard, a ball floated across the six-yard box to the back post being nodded in for 1-1
The game remained deadlocked from that point setting up extratime in which Linnets almost won it but a shot from Jones-Sachareweicz struck an upright.
With Linnets opting to go first in the shootout, Megan Pickering was denied by a Stockport save and while Carlson, Gillies, JonesSacharewicz and Jo Finnegan were successful, Stockport converted all five attempts to go through.
Linnets Ladies manager, John Pickering said: ‘I have nothing but praise for my players, I am so proud of them all.
“We have two games left on April 29 away to Egerton Ladies and April 30 away to Chester Women FC. We go in these games knowing three points cements a fifth place. I’m gutted for the players (after the cup defeat) but we now move on and concentrate on next week’s league games and look to end the season on a positive.” ●