Cardiff City 2-2 (4-5 p) Cardiff Metropolitan: Met through to final after dramatic shootout victory
Cardiff Metropolitan and Swansea City will contest the Welsh Premier Women’s League Cup final after the holders won on penalties against Cardiff City.
Record three-time winners Cardiff Met gained revenge on Cardiff City after the Bluebirds dumped the Archers out of the FAW Women’s Cup on Wednesday.
Kerry Harris’ reached their third consecutive final as Amy Long scored the decisive spot-kick to send Met through after being pegged back twice by Cardiff City.
Erin Murray scored in the first-half for a first-half lead for Met but Kate Jeremiah sent the game into a further thirty minutes after scoring in the 86th minute.
Lucy Finch retook the lead for Met in the second-quarter of extra-time, but Catherine Walsh sent the game to penalties.
Ffion Llewellyn was also red carded, meaning she cold miss the League Cup final.
Swansea City defeated Port Talbot Town in the other semi-final as Sarah Adams, Shaunna Jenkins and Katy Hosford were on target.
The two ties were being played between the top four sides in the Welsh Premier Women’s League. Met and Swansea will meet at Dragon Park on March 29.
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Met improved from their mid-week showing and created a number of early tests for the hosts backline.
Sophie Hancocks forced Ceryn Chamberlain into action as she stung the fingers of the City keeper with an attempt from outside the box.
Alana Murphy snuck a low effort at goal but her shot lacked in venom to test Charlotte Smith.
A great chance wasn’t taken by the travelling side. Murray raced on to Stephanie Turner’s through ball for a one-on-one but shot directly at Chamberlain.
Erin Murray rewarded Met with a dominant first-quarter display with a sharp close-range finish for her second goal of the week against her former club after captain Robyn Pinder had teed her up.
Lucy Finch almost added a second for Met but her low shot fizzled past the post.
Chamberlain kept the game to a one-goal margin by blocking Alexis Rienk’s low-shot with her leg.
She then made herself even more popular amongst her team-mates by making a string of saves from a quick wave of attacks.
Chamberlain first dealt with Dagnall’s troubling cross, before pushing away Lucy Finch’s attempted chip after the Met defender broke for a one-on-one. In the last shot of the move, Pinder’s rebounded effort was saved by the Cardiff goalkeeper.
The second-half didn’t have as much fluidity as the first and it became sloppy, but this suited Cardiff City.
Pinder almost go on the scoresheet but her trickling effort went past the post.
Danielle Green almost got Cardiff back into the match as her header looped onto the roof of the net after meeting Jeremiah’s cross.
Despite only one real meaningful chance in the second-half, Cardiff City got back on level terms.
Kate Jeremiah – a thorn in Met’s side on Wednesday – showed great composure to slot past Smith.
Cardiff almost snatched the game from under Met’s noses as Jeremiah’s difficult cross had to be pushed away by Smith, Alana Murphy was unable to header home on the rebound.
The Bluebirds couldn’t make their second wind pay as they had to refuel for a further thirty minutes.
The second-half of extra-time would provide the most drama as both sides contested the highly competitive match.
Pinder almost turned home an effort from the floor after meeting Micaela Milavec’s cross.
The rearguard was broken in the Cardiff City goal as Chamberlain – impressive throughout the match – could do nothing about the goal.
Chamberlain was beaten by an unstoppable effort as Lucy Finch’s shot flew into the only destination possible, the top hand corner of the goal.
Her earlier heroics weren’t in vain though as Catherine Walsh bailed her side out of trouble.
The Cardiff forward levelled for the Bluebirds as she headed home from a corner-kick in a congested penalty area.
To finish off the drama, Ffion Llewellyn was red carded a minute before full-time for a second cynical foul of extra time.
Stacey Ayling – introduced for the shootout – scored her penalty along with Robyn Pinder, but Kate Jeremiah and Sophie Norman coolly responded with their spot kicks.
Cardiff City who second in the order of spot kicks may have had an advantage but Lucy Finch’s penalty trickled into the goal despite Chamberlain’s finger tips.
It was that luck which let them down as Alana Murphy’s penalty hit the crossbar and failed to come back out, to provide Met a route to victory.
Stephanie Turner opened up a two penalty lead with Danielle Broadhurst showing composure to keep Cardiff alive in the shootout.
There was nothing she could do though as she and her teammates watched on as Amy Long slotted her penalty past Chamberlain to book Met’s place in the final.
Cardiff City: Ceryn Chamberlain, Lisa Owen, Hannah Daley (C), Kate Jeremiah, Kanisha Underdown (Sophie Norman 80), Alana Murphy, Danielle Broadhurst, Danielle Green, Catherine Walsh, Zoe Atkins (Ellisia Cartwright 98, Cerys Pinchard (Ella Hilliard 71).
Goals: Kate Jeremiah 86, Catherine Walsh 115′
Cardiff Metropolitan: Charlotte Smith, Alexis Rienks, Lucy Finch, Ffion Llewellyn, Stephanie Turner, Lucia Carpanini (Micaela Milavec 76) Grace Corne, Sophie Hancocks, Erin Murray (Annabel Davies 53), Robyn Pinder (C), Aimee Dagnall (Amy Long 85)
Goals: Erin Murray 19, Lucy Finch 108
Yellow Card: Ffion Llewellyn 93′
Red Card: Ffion Llewellyn 119′
See how the game unfolded here:
(Featured Image: Steffan Clifton)
