Workington Town Women have advanced past the preliminary round of the Alliance Design and Print League Cup thanks to a determined team effort by all concerned.
Keeley Chatters scored early on to put the visitors ahead and again in the dying minutes to take the tie to a penalty shootout which Town won 7-6.
Injuries had forced the West Cumbrians to travel with only 14 fully fit players and with nearly a quarter of their playing contingent only aged 16.
Tiegan Hargrave, making her first team debut, was quick to make a positive start to her promising career, with tenacious carries and intelligent connections down the right. This was rewarded after ten minutes when she linked with Nat Broad from a short corner that took the home side by surprise.
Hargrave collected and crossed to find Chatters centrally who finished with a well-taken first-time strike to reward the visitors for early game dominance.
Unfortunately, Town Women lost the services of Ella O’Nions, with the promising youngster leaving the field after struggling with a slight niggle and Kate Corlett took her place.
Town’s lead was cancelled out soon after, when a mix up at the back gave Lily Parsons an unopposed run at goal from 20 yards out a she went on to fire past the closing Laura Miller.
The game then flowed with equal spells of possession, however the visitors felt frustrated to be on the wrong side of some very close and at times perplexing off side calls and a strike from Broad hit the post before rebounding into safety.
Sophie Corlett replaced Helen Wagstaff at half time with the youngster joining her twin Kate in the middle of the park, both gaining some valuable minutes at Regional level football and both contributing to the team’s performance.
With 12 minutes remaining, the home side thought they had won the game when Chloe Green put them in front from close range. What followed was a spirited response from the visitors in the last ten minutes as they pushed for an equalising goal.
With around five minutes to go, Chatters was given the chance to impose herself on the home defence from a ball lifted over the top from Kirsten Donald.
Chatter’s first touch was sublime as she skilfully gained territorial advantage and closed in on goal from the right. Her finish matched her earlier touch for quality and she fired the ball home past the helpless home keeper.
The late timing of the goal left both sides unable to alter the outcome and the game finished level and this ensured the result would depend on spot kicks from 12 yards out.
Broad and Linzi Donaldson stepped up successfully to convert the first two before Chatters saw the third saved. Hayley Bracken and Miller followed the lead set in the first two strikes. However, a Warrington strike went wide, which meant the shootout was tied 4-4 as sudden death approached.
Helen Wagstaff and Donald continued with success before Miller saved well to deny the visitors and present an advantage to Chloe Henderson.
Henderson placed the ball, rubbed her hands, composed herself and then struck with confidence to fire the visitors into the next round and earn a mouth-watering tie at home to Penrith Ladies on October 27.
Laura Miler picked up the Player of the Game vote from Warrington for another solid performance in Town’s goal.
Elsewhere, Workington Town Women FC Reserves took on local rivals Whitehaven AFC A Team in a West Cumbrian derby in the Lancashire County League Division North encounter.
The score finished 3-2 in the Town Women’s Reserves favour and this see’s them retain their 100% start to their first season in operation.
Speaking after their game, manager Nigel Thornthwaite said: “Today’s game was a tough test for both sides, but I think the result was the right outcome in the end.”
“Looking at the season so far, we are over the moon to start off the way we have. This isn’t just from a results perspective, it’s from the way the team have committed to the opportunity that they’ve been given and the camaraderie that’s developed between them.
“We’ve seen players returning to football that haven’t had the opportunity to play after leaving junior football over recent years and the influx of players moving directly from the junior teams last season has been superb.
“This is exactly why the club and the women’s game locally needed the reserve grade football and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way things have panned out.
“The first team has already seen a benefit too, with five reserves already gaining game time with them covering injuries and with two of these moving to join the reserves for the rest of the season.”
