The FA Women’s Cup sponsored by E.ON
First Round Qualifying
11am, Sunday 28 September 2008
The Hub, Regent's Park
Winning clubs will receive £100 from The FA
Lucy Mills' header for Tower Hamlets after 102 minutes won this duel in the sun in the middle of Regent's Park.Their reward is an away tie in the Second Round Qualifying to Brentford, who scored 21 goals as they put One Wish Ladies to the sword yesterday.
Hampstead, in claret and sky blue, had enjoyed a perfect start against Hamlets. Their first attack after two minutes produced a corner on the left, which found its way to centre-back Emily Brown standing near the penalty mark. Her low right-footer rolled into the bottom corner, just eluding two defenders on the line, to give the home side the lead.
However, they were unable to press home their advantage as Hamlets started to make all the running.
Centre-forward Hannah Dalglish, with a very appropriate surname for a striker, burst clear of the Hampstead backline on numerous occasions in that first half. Home 'keeper Laura Mifsud was kept on her toes and had to advance quickly to make a series of brave blocks.
Hamlets had threatened to score for so long that their 36th-minute equaliser was hardly a surprise. Susie Hill's corner from the right was palmed against the bar by Mifsud and Shelley Fowler followed up to head in from close range.
Then another accurate flag-kick allowed the visitors to go in front three minutes before half-time. This time Sabrina Samuel bravely got her head to the ball at the far post as players from both sides lunged in.
Hampstead's Brown put her attacking team-mates to shame by scoring again six minutes into the second half. The ball squirmed from under Hamlets 'keeper Karen Perkins following a corner and the tall defender poked the ball over the line from about two yards out. 2-2 and all to play for.
Mifsud, who had performed heroically up to that point, misjudged a right-wing cross from Hill on 69 minutes and it sailed over her head and just under the bar. To be fair she may have been blinded by the sun.
Again Hampstead came back to level at 3-3, Merouzza Laearou's speculative shot from the right soaring over Perkins into the net on 80 minutes.
Both teams showed great stamina as they battled to find a winner in the extra half-hour. It arrived 12 minutes into the first period as Hill arrowed in another peach of a cross. The home defence had moved en bloc to the left to intercept and as the ball dropped in the goalmouth any one of three Hamlets players could have converted the chance.
The honour fell to Mills and they held on to win an enthralling cup-tie.