Fulham Women came back from 2-0 down to beat fourth tier Maidenhead United 3-2 and book their place in the first round proper of the Women’s FA Cup at Motspur Park this afternoon.
The Whites got off to the worst possible start against higher division opposition when, after Becky Stormer headed agonisingly wide from Tia Foreman’s fine corner, Maidenhead scored twice in two minutes just after the half hour mark. The hosts were handed a lifeline a minute before the break when a handball in the ball gave them a penalty. Tia Foreman scored at the second attempt to halve the deficit.
It took just eleven minutes into the second period for Fulham to level matters through a thumping header from Helen Ogle. The top scorer calmly slotted her second of the afternoon to put Steve Jaye’s side ahead for the first time with seven minutes to play and the Whites survived a late spell of Maidenhead pressure – chiefly because Edie Kelly pulled off a stupendous double save – to seal a spot in Monday’s first round draw.
23 teams from the third tier will join the competition with the ties scheduled to be played on Sunday 13 November. Fulham are back in league action at Dulwich Hamlet next Sunday in a 2.30pm kick off at Champion Hill.
FULHAM WOMEN: Kelly, Southgate, Stormer, Modak, Thomas, Mendes, Foreman, Lewis; Heasman, Ogle, Buchele. Subs: Cowan, Bird, Armstrong, Harris-Walters, Lambird.
GOALS: Foreman (44), Ogle (56, 82).
