Ladies leave it late yet again to steal real thriller

LUCY Sowerby netted a 93rd-minute winner to give Huddersfield Town Ladies a dramatic victory at Stoke City in the National League Northern Premier Division.

The forward smashed the ball into the back of the net following a goalmouth scramble to give the Terriers their third straight win in all competitions.

Town went into the match off the back of a scrappy 1-0 victory over Burnley in the League Cup – and have now won consecutive matches in stoppage time.

They fell behind to a brilliant solo goal from Stoke’s Amy Hughes. A long ball down the right gave the winger space to run into and, after bursting past final defender Cara Bickett, she fired low across Charlotte Oates in the Huddersfield goal to give her side a deserved lead.

But, in the second half fourth-placed Town showed why they are one of the top teams in the division.

Ella Harris switched the ball wide to the left wing where skipper Kate Mallin was waiting in acres of space, and Town’s top scorer this season bent a beautiful finish into the bottom corner with less than two minutes of the second half played.

Town turned the game on its head when Mallin whipped a corner into the crowded six-yard box and, after a brief melee on the goal line, Brittany Sanderson turned the ball home from close range.

And it got even better on the hour mark when another wicked Mallin corner meant Sanderson couldn’t miss at the near post.

But then, just as quickly as they built the lead, they threw it away. Sloppy defending allowed Ashleigh Hayes to get one back for the hosts before a tidy finish from Stoke captain Cassie Hyde set up a grandstand finish when Town really should have put the game to bed.

However, this Huddersfield Town side do not lie down easily and they produced a brilliant example of team spirit to find the winning goal.

With the game stretched, the Terriers charged down the left flank before a quality ball in was diverted behind.

Mallin put fierce top spin on her corner and as the ball dropped under the crossbar, all hell broke loose.

With bodies throwing themselves towards the ball, Sowerby kept her cool and slotted the ball through the crowd and into the net.

Meanwhile, Town’s development side beat Handsworth Ladies 6-0 to secure a place in the second round of the S&H Women’s Challenge Cup with two goals from Macy Ellis and strikes from Anna Davis, Tara Duce, Emily Cahill and Jess Frater.