YOUNG LIONESSES ROAR IN VINTAGE CAMPAIGN
Everton 1 (Thomas p 22)
Millwall Lionesses 2 (Murphy 61, Lindsay 69)
FA Women’s Premier League Cup final
Underhill Stadium, Barnet
Attendance 1,505
23 March 1997
A sensational 1996-97 season for Millwall Lionesses ended in a Premier League Cup and FA Cup double for a team whose average age was just 19.
Among the young Lionesses’ pride were Katie Chapman and Danielle Murphy, 14 and 15 respectively and both destined to become senior England internationals.
Each of the youngsters played key roles as the south east London outfit, who that season finished fifth in the Premier League table, swept aside all before them in both of the major Cup competitions.
May was to see the double completed with a 1-0 win against Wembley in the FA Cup final at West Ham United’s then Upton Park stadium.
But the triumphant end to the season was set up on 23rd March at Barnet FC’s Underhill Stadium, where the Lionesses beat Everton 2-1 to lift the League Cup.
Everton had reached the final in style, winning 5-0 in the first round against Southampton Saints then beating Brighton 6-1, Wembley 3-2 and Aston Villa 5-2 in the semi-final.
Millwall had also moved through the early rounds fairly comfortably, following a 3-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday with 5-0 and 4-0 wins against Huddersfield Town and Stourport Swifts in the second and third rounds.
But they had to battle their way through a hard fought semi-final against Doncaster Belles, the tie ending 1-1 but the Lionesses winning 4-2 on penalties.
And so to the final, where in a blustery wind, Everton – kicking up Underhill’s infamous slope – made the better start and took the lead through a 22nd minute penalty taken by Louise Thomas.
Welsh international Thomas had herself been upended by defender Abbie Walsh and, from the resultant spot-kick, the Toffees’ set-piece specialist struck the ball into the top corner of the Millwall net.
The lead was almost doubled just before half-time, former Donny Belles and Liverpool player Louise Ryde curling a shot over England goalkeeper Pauline Cope only to see the ball bounce to safety off the far post.
Everton then started the second half confidently, but Millwall gradually forced their way into the game and equalised in the 61st minute, Murphy skipping past a couple of tackles to drive the ball home.
It was a fine goal, celebrated in headline-grabbing fashion as the prodigious youngster produced a shirt-over-the-head celebration in imitation of Middlesbrough (men’s) Brazilian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Immediately dubbed ‘Bravanelli,’ Murphy’s elaborate dash across the Underhill turf came two years before America’s Brandi Chastain famously produced a similar celebration after scoring the shoot-out penalty that won her country the World Cup final against China.
Recalling the League Cup final incident in ‘On the Ball’ (March 2000), Murphy said: “It was just a bit of fun. I scored, got a bit too excited and put my shirt over my head. It was all over the papers the next day, but the (women’s) game got more publicity which can only be a good thing.”
What proved to be the decisive goal arrived eight minutes after Murphy’s strike as Tina Lindsay, meeting a cross from Justine Lorton, hooked the ball beyond the dive of Toffees keeper Tracie Johnson.
Everton pressed in the closing stages but were unable to find an equaliser to send the game into extra time.
Everton: Johnson, Mason, McQuiggan, Gore, Marley, Bertie (Byne 75), Ryde, Scattergood, McGrady (Savin 75), Davies (Prendergast 63), Thomas.
Millwall: Cope, Walsh, Fletcher, Waller, Chapman, Murphy, Ede, Phillip, Buckley (Bedzrah 25), Lorton, Lindsay.
Referee Mrs W. Toms (Dorset FA)
RESULTS
First Round
27/10/1996
Berkhamsted 1-2 Ipswich Town
Blyth Spartans 3-5 Aston Villa
Brighton & Hove 2-1 Tranmere Rovers
Garswood 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Ilkeston Town 3-1 Bradford City
Leyton Orient 3-1 Langford
Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal
Notts County 0-5 Wimbledon
Oxford United 1-4 Stourport Swifts
Southampton Saints 0-5 Everton
Whitehawk 0-2 Croydon
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bronte walk-over
Wembley and Doncaster Belles, the 1995-96 finalists, had first round byes
10/11/1996
Millwall Lionesses 3-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Town & County 1-4 Three Bridges
Second Round
24/11/1996
Brighton & Hove 1-6 Everton
Croydon 1-1 Aston Villa AET: Villa won 4-3 on pens
Doncaster Belles 2-1 Arsenal
Ipswich Town 1-4 Wimbledon
Stourport Swifts 3-1 Leyton Orient
Three Bridges 0-1 Ilkeston Town
1/12/1996
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-8 Wembley
8/12/1996
Huddersfield Town 0-5 Millwall Lionesses
Third Round
8/12/1996
Aston Villa 5-2 Ilkeston Town
15/12/1996
Millwall Lionesses 4-0 Stourport Swifts
Wembley 2-3 Everton
Wimbledon 1-8 Doncaster Belles
Semi-Finals
26/1/1996
Doncaster Belles 1-1 Millwall Lionesses AET: Millwall won 4-2 on pens
Everton 5-2 Aston Villa
Final
23/3/1997
Everton 1-2 Millwall Lionesses
