COTTAGERS CRUSH YOUNG BLUES EN ROUTE TO TROPHY TREBLE
Birmingham City 1 (McGuckin (66)
Fulham 7 (Chapman (3) 1-0; Haugenes (42) 2-0; Haugenes (62) 3-0; Pettersen (67) 4-1; Rahman (81) 5-1; Pettersen (86) 6-1; Chapman (89) 7-1.
The FA Nationwide Women's Premier League Cup final
Sunday 7 April 2002
Adams Park, Wycombe
Attendance 1,512
Fulham completed the second part of their triple trophy quest with a comprehensive victory over Birmingham City in the Women's Premier League Cup final.
Four days after clinching the Southern Division title, and four weeks before their FA Cup final meeting with Doncaster Belles, Europe's only professional side at the time proved far too strong for a young Blues team who were still competing in the Northern Division.
Cottagers midfielders Katie Chapman and Margunn Haugenes each scored twice and striker Marianne Pettersen hit the net once to take her season's tally to 77.
Fulham manager Gaute Haugenes said: "It's the first major trophy in the club's history, so it's a big thing for us to win it.
"Birmingham gave us a good game for 25 to 30 minutes, but in the second half we performed very well and might have won by a wider margin.
"It will be tougher against Doncaster Belles in the FA Cup final, because they are more experienced than Birmingham and physically stronger, but we aim to finish the season by winning that match too.”
Birmingham boss Marcus Bignot, then also a professional footballer with QPR, said: "We competed well and I was proud of the girls, but we never stood a chance.
"As long as we have a professional outfit in an amateur league it's going to be a non-spectacle.
"The sooner we can get six or seven other clubs going pro, the better it will be for the women's game in this country."
A big score looked on the cards from the third minute, when midfielder Chapman headed the Cottagers into the lead.
Birmingham goalkeeper Melanie Ramsdale made good stops from winger Rachel Yankey and Pettersen before Yankey and Rachel McArthur missed simple chances.
But the 17-year-old keeper was beaten again when Haugenes scored from close range two minutes before the interval.
Haugenes headed her second in the 62nd minute, but four minutes later Birmingham grabbed a consolation goal when midfielder Jodie McGuckin drove in a Katy Ward cross.
Within 60 seconds, however, the Cottagers regained their three-goal advantage as Blues captain Laura Bassett headed a Yankey cross into her own net.
Substitute Deena Rahman lobbed in the fifth goal in the 81st minute, then Pettersen drove home Haugenes' 86th cross before Chapman headed the final goal a minute from time.
A month after their League Cup success Fulham, already set for promotion to the top flight, added the FA Cup to their trophy collection with a 2-1 win against Doncaster in the final.
Birmingham also ended the season on a high note, winning the Northern Division with a 14-point gap above runners-up Wolverhampton Wanderers and, like their League Cup final conquerors, set to step up to the Women’s League’s National Division for the first time.
Birmingham City: M. Ramsdale; Cardin, Hickmott, C. Ramsdale, Samuels, Bassett, Aluko, Hawkins, Ward, Ballard, McGuckin.
Substitutes: Archer, Cartwright, McLoud, Taylor, Convey.
Fulham: Johannessen; Unitt, McArthur, Terp, Phillip, Chapman, Haugenes, Duncan, Moore, Yankey, Pettersen.
Substitutes: Jerray-Silver, Gibbons, Mork, Rahman, Smith.
Referee: D Buckeridge (Enfield).
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1915888.stm
RESULTS
Preliminary Round
9/9/2001
Fulham 12-0 Millwall Lionesses
Wimbledon 2-0 Coventry City
First Round
23/9/2001
Arsenal 8-0 Ipswich Town
Barking 6-1 North Notts
Berkhamsted Town 0-6 Barry Town
Birmingham City 4-0 Barnet
Everton 3-1 (AET) Bristol Rovers
Garswood Saints 1-4 Liverpool
Ilkeston Town 2-10 Brighton & Hove Albion
Langford 2-3 Chelsea
Manchester City 0-2 Southampton Saints
Oldham Curzon 3-6 (AET) Sheffield Wednesday
Tranmere Rovers 5-1 Newport County
Wimbledon 1-2 Bangor City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Sunderland
30/9/2001
Aston Villa 2-5 Doncaster Belles
Queen’s Park Rangers 0-7 Charlton Athletic
7/10/2001
Fulham 8-0 Leeds United
Second Round
28/10/2001
Arsenal 8-1 Sunderland
Bangor City 0-1 Birmingham City
Charlton Athletic 1-5 Fulham
Doncaster Belles 5-0 Barking
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Ilkeston Town
Southampton Saints 4-2 Chelsea
4/11//2001
Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Barry Town
28/11/2001
Everton 2-0 Liverpool
Quarter-finals
11/11/2001
Barry Town 2-4 Arsenal
25/11/2001
Ilkeston Town 0-4 Birmingham City
2/12/2001
Doncaster Belles 1-3 Everton
16/12/2001
Fulham 9-1 Southampton Saints
Semi-finals
13/1/2002
Doncaster Belles 3-4 Birmingham City
16/1/2002
Fulham 3-2 Arsenal
Final
7/4/2002
Birmingham City 1-7 Fulham
