Fulham FC Women won their second penalty shoot-out of the season – knocking Arsenal’s academy out of the Capital Cup despite letting a two-goal lead slip in front of more than 3,000 fans at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
Steve Jaye’s side were more clinical in front of goal than the defending champions as Megalie Mendes gave the Whites the perfect start on ten minutes. The South African wing-back confidently dispatched a penalty after Georgia Heasman had been felled inside the penalty to the delight of a vocal home crowd.
Young Gunners goalkeeper Melissa Stanbury made a superb save to deny the dangerous Sasha Adamson, selected ahead of Sophie Manzi up front, before Arsenal showed some of the enterprise in the final third. Libby Stratton did wonderfully well to keep out an effort from Amelia Bloom before thwarting the Arsenal forward again with a more straightforward save a couple of minutes later.
Heasman almost pounced after some panic stations in the visitors’ defence but Stratton was called upon against to claim a chipped effort from Maddy Earl. The Fulham goalkeeper was caught out by a cross from Sienna Hurrell that crashed off the crossbar and there was a huge sigh of relief when Isabella Fisher headed the rebound over.
In a dramatic few minutes, Adamson then rattled the woodwork at the other end with the winger working some space to pull the trigger only for Stanbury to made a spectacular save – turning the goalbound effort onto the crossbar and over the top. But the reprieve lasted only a matter of seconds for the Arsenal defence who failed to deal with the ensuing corner, allowing Adamson to pick out Panting, who struck home a second on the volley.
Arsenal came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half, penning Fulham back after what must have been a frank half-time team talk. Stratton surged off her line to spread herself well and narrow the angle as Bloom burst clear of the square Fulham defence – but the away side’s eagerness to reduce the deficit offered opportunities on the break for the hosts. Heasman darted away from her marker with real elegance and, after Stanbury had got a hand to her cross, Adamson was only denied a third by a brilliant piece of last-ditch defending from Maisie Wilson. Midfielder Betty Barron-Clark blazed the follow up over from the edge of the box.
Arsenal got themselves back into the contest from their next attack thanks to a fine first-time strike from the persistent Bloom and only another brilliant reaction save from Stratton kept Fulham’s lead intact, with the goalkeeper thwarting Vivienne Lea after she had evaded the home defence. The Gunners gained confidence from their penetration in behind the Fulham defence with Bloom finding the corner after latching onto a lovely pass from Hurrell to level matters.
That set up a grandstand finale with both sides pushing for a winner. Adamson sprinted away from the visiting defence but couldn’t get enough power behind his finish to beat Salisbury, before Olivia Dale denied Bloom her hat-trick with a great saving challenge. Becky Stormer somehow cleared a corner from her own line as Arsenal’s fitness looked set to tell in the closing stages.
Jaye opted to bring Ellie Parker, who had saved crucial penalties in the shoot-out success at Actonians in the FA Cup earlier this season, off the bench in the dying moments to replace Stratton. She faced a penalty before the shoot-out after Ella Tagliavini was adjudged to have committed a foul in added time but denied Bloom a hat-trick with a fine reaction save.
That ensured we went all the way to penalties. Fulham cracked first when Mendes hit the crossbar with her effort but Parker produced more heroics to save from Ruby Seal. Lilly Lambird saw her effort saved by Stanbury but Parker saved from Lucy Lia immediately afterwards. Dale thumped home her spot-kick to pile the pressure on Bloom and Parker made another sublime stop to send Fulham into the next round.
FULHAM FC WOMEN (3-4-3): Stratton; Tagliavini, Stormer, Dale; Parsonson, Mendes, Barron-Clark, Lambird; Adamson, Heasman, Panting. Subs: Parker, Southgate, Hayman, Buchele.
GOALS: Mendes (10), Panting (41).
REFEREE: Dominic Fairhurst
ATTENDANCE: 3,166
