The FA Women’s Cup sponsored by E.ON
Fifth Round Proper
2pm, Sunday 1 February 2009
Winning clubs will receive £750 from The FA
There were three outstanding ties left to be played in The FA Women's Cup on Sunday and, as usual, there was no shortage of drama, suspense and goalmouth action.
Kerry Bartlett's quickfire double seemed to have booked Bristol Academy's place in the next round, but Birmingham took advantage of some slack defending to drag themselves back into the game.
Bartlett shot the home side ahead on 32 minutes before scoring her second to put her team 2-0 in front seven minutes later.
But Becky Hall struck in the 77th minute to set up a grandstand finish. With time running out, Danni Bird struck from the penalty spot to break Bristol's hearts and send the game into extra-time.
Nobody could find a winner in the remaining 30 minutes, so it was left to the lottery of a shoot-out. After Birmingham's Kerys Harrop skied her penalty way over the crossbar, it was up to two-goal heroine Bartlett to slide home the decisive spot-kick and book Bristol a quarter-final match away at Sunderland.
There may be two divisions between Derby and Chelsea but the Midlands outfit pushed their more illustrious opponents all the way in their Cup match.
It took two Lianne Sanderson penalties to kill off Derby's challenge and earn Chelsea a home tie against Ooh Lincoln Ladies in the last eight.
Sinead Morgan seemed to have tripped Sanderson just outside the penalty area on 25 minutes, but the referee pointed to the spot. Sanderson smashed home the penalty and the game was put to bed in the 50th minute after the striker once again did the business from 12 yards.
Derby secretary Sheila Rollinson said: "I am so proud of the players. We matched them for most, if not all, of the game and in the end two penalties finished us.
"But I can have no complaints with my players - we were superb against a team ranked two divisions higher than us."
Blackburn booked a quarter-final clash with Everton after they crept past a spirited Millwall side.
With both defences on top, the match looked destined to go to extra-time but Natalie Preston's strike on the hour was enough to kill off Millwall's challenge.
Preston turned and fired a rasping drive into the back of the net, giving the goalkeeper no chance.
