The FA Women's Premier League Cup
Second Round
Sunday 8 October 2006

Charlton booked their place in the third round of the Premier League Cup with a score line that suggested a much easier ride than was actually the case.

With the game poised at 2-1 to the visitors, some key decisions had a massive impact on the game

Moments later, the Crewe keeper Kelly Roberts misjudged a routine high ball and inexplicably fumbled it into her own net right on the stroke of half time.

Earlier, Charlton had opened the scoring on 14 minutes when Natasha Dowie glanced in a near post header but this was cancelled out just a minute later by Crewe’s Emma Lambourne, firing home from 12 yards out. Gemma Ritchie fired Charlton back into the lead on the 26th minute in a rapid period of action.

The second half turned out to be a well contested affair with both Charlton and Crewe rattling the cross bar and then Penny had what looked like a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside. Although kept quiet for 88 minutes of the match by Beth Ragdale and Beth Clark, England international Eniola Aluko finally showed her class, coming up with the goods very late scoring two goals to finally break Crewe’s resistance.

"Although the score may say different, I can honestly say that the Crewe girls acquitted themselves very well and can be proud of their performance today against a team regarded as one of the top three in England" said club spokesperson Russ Edwards.

"Several of their players are full or Under-21 England internationals but saying that I thought we competed for much of the game on an equal footing."

First Round Result
Arsenal 4-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles

Second Round Results
Blackburn Rovers 3-6 Chelsea (aet)
Bristol City 1-1 Millwall Lionesses (aet, Millwall won 3-0 on penalties)
Crewe Alexandra 1-5 Charlton Athletic
Everton 2-0 Bristol Academy
Leeds United 2-0 Barnet
Lincoln City 2-2 Liverpool (aet, Lincoln won 5-4 on penalties)
Nottingham Forest 0-1 West Ham United