We picked up our first points in the Subway Women's League Cup on Wednesday night after we edged Aston Villa 7-6 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Kicking off action in Group E at Brisbane Road, there wasn’t too much action in the 90 minutes under the lights as both sides struggled to carve out many clear-cut opportunities, although Lize Kop and Ellie Roebuck both produced crucial saves at key moments to keep the game at 0-0 before Noelle Maritz saw red for the visitors with seven minutes remaining.
Finishing goalless in the 90 and with a point already in the bag, Kop then produced the heroics in the shootout as, after 13 spot-kicks, our shot stopper denied Georgia Mullet to take home the extra point and begin the group stage with two points in the table.
Martin Ho made three changes to the starting XI that faced Manchester City last time out - Josefine Rybrink, Matilda Vinberg and Maite Oroz coming in - as he looked for a response to the disappointing defeat but it was Kop who was called into action inside the opening minute under the lights, producing quick reactions to keep out Rachel Daly’s faint touch from Lynn Wilms' in-swinging cross to deny the veteran forward an early goal.
Earning her first start of the campaign, Vinberg was a lively outlet down the left, showcasing some lovely footwork in the early stages, while Oroz, also in from the start for the first time this season, tested Ellie Roebuck from 20 yards out with a half-volley. Georgia Mullet blasted over the bar from a tight angle before our best opportunity of the first period came on 36 minutes when Vinberg’s looping effort was tipped over the bar by Roebuck. We were indebted to Kop in the second minute of stoppage time in the first half as she got down low to push Missy Bo Kearn’s powerful strike from the edge of the box around the post to keep the scores level at the break.
We made a triple change at the break in search of the breakthrough and one of the substitutes, Lenna Gunning-Williams, went close as her sliced effort grazed the sidenetting. Chasity Grant and Olivia Holdt had shots from distance that really failed to test either goalkeeper in between the sticks before, on 73 minutes, Kop produced a fantastic save at full stretch to tip Jill Baijings’ left-footed strike over the bar to preserve the clean sheet.
Vinberg dragged an effort wide after some lovely one-touch football in the build-up saw Gunning-Williams race down the right before teeing up the Sweden international just inside the box. There was some late drama as, with seven minutes remaining on the clock, Maritz was dismissed following a heavy challenge on Olivia Holdt, but we failed to capitalise on the extra player in the closing stages as the game ended all square.
Competition rules state that drawn ties must go to a penalty shootout for an extra point in the group and, after Gunning-Williams’ spot-kick was saved by Roebuck, we were left an uphill battle early on. With the score at 4-4 to Villa, Miri Taylor needed to convert the final spot-kick to win the shootout but Kop denied the midfielder to take it to sudden death. Then, as Mullett stepped up to take the 14th spot-kick, our number one produced the heroics to keep out her effort and win us the shootout in the end.
