Women's football news
Written by: Joe
Late goals from Kayla Ginger and Maddie Brant sent Lewes FC Women into the Sussex Challenge Cup Final on Sunday as the Rooks got their reward from a match they dominated, reports Lily Perrill.
It took the side until the 89th minute for Lewes to convert a chance despite having so many opportunities throughout the game. Ginger got the breakthrough after a corner from Paula Howells bounced around the Saltdean box before the substitute sliced her foot through the ball to make sure the chance wasn’t wasted.
To solidify the win Brant scored her first goal for the Rooks in the 90th minute.
Lewes were confident going into the fixture, knowing that a win would send them through to a cup final after posting some good results recently in the league. Nat Lawrence’s side had drawn to Ipswich Town and top-of-the-league Hashtag United in the past week and the Rooks were looking to carry this form into the cup tie.
The first half saw chance upon chance fall to the likes of Howells and Muna Eze, the most notable of which came at the end of the half where Eze had the opportunity to square the ball to Howells for an easy shot at goal – but instead chose to go for goal herself, sending the ball flying over the bar.
Early possession fell the way of the Rooks. A great cross from Sarah Harvey led to an early chance for Eze to get a shot off, but it was blocked by a Saltdean defender and went out for the first corner of the match.
The first shot on target for Lewes came in the 12th minute as Katie Gilligan laid the ball off to Howells, who attempted to curl an effort into the top left of Faye Baker’s goal, but it was caught by the former Lewes keeper. Soon after, Saltdean themselves had a chance to score but Lucy Connolly-Brame put in a fantastically timed challenge to stop the attack.
A great save from Emily Moore came in the 24th minute to stop Saltdean from taking a shock lead through Georgia Bridges.
The Rooks then came close to an opener in the 26th minute when a corner led to the ball bouncing around in the box and skimming the crossbar.
Sydney Schreimaier then crossed the ball across the face of goal in the 29th minute in an attempt to put Connolly-Brame in for a tap-in, but a Saltdean defender was able to cut out the chance.
Chances were starting to build for the Rooks following the half-hour mark, with Connolly-Brame flaunting some fantastic footwork to combine with Eze and Howells to threaten the Saltdean backline.
Howells came close to 1-0 again in the 34th minute as she received the ball just outside the box on the right hand side and decided to take on a lovely dipping shot, which looked to have Baker in trouble, but it ended up hitting the crossbar.
Another great chance for Lewes as Connolly-Brame stole the ball off a Saltdean defender and dribbled all the way down the flank to get into a position to cross. The ball landed at Howells yet again, but she wasn’t able to sort her feet out in time to take on a shot before the defence cut her angle.
Five minutes before the break Lois Roche stole the ball just outside the box to have a pop at goal but the shot went straight into the keeper’s hands. Eze then used her body well to block out a defender as she chased after a ball from Gilligan down the left hand side, but the forward had the chance to put Howells in for an easier shot but chose to go for goal herself instead, which was a much tighter angle and went straight over the crossbar.
A break in play in the 55th minute for a Saltdean injury allowed for manager Lawrence to make a couple of substitutions, taking off Skye Bacons and Eze to be replaced by Ginger and Olivia Carpenter.
Howells caused mayhem soon after when she closed down Saltdean keeper Baker to deflect her kick back towards goal, but it span just wide of the target.
The Rooks continued to dominate the second half as the Saltdean players seemed to be tiring. A Lewes goal appeared imminent, but as more and more chances came, the Rooks’ attackers couldn’t seem to get the ball over the line.
Carpenter had the Dripping Pan crowd on their feet after Connolly-Brame put in a cross that looked to be falling straight onto her head, but the substitute headed the ball high over the crossbar into the stands.
An unbelievable chance for Ginger came after Carpenter crossed the ball perfectly into her stride, but Baker was there to make a diving save from Ginger’s volley.
The Rooks began to force the shots and in the 76th minute Howells pulled the trigger from far out, only to miss the target. She then had a penalty appeal when turning in the box before being brought down, but the referee waved her appeals away.
A draw would have taken the semi-final to penalties but Lewes sensed a last-minute winner. It eventually came after a corner from Howells bounced around the Saltdean box with a couple of shots blocked. Ginger then made no doubt by smashing the ball into the back of the net to finally put the Rooks in front.
Moments later and Brant was celebrating her first Roosk goal as she rounded off a flowing move down the right to put the game beyond Saltdean.
Lewes will face Brighton and Hove Albion’s U21s in the Sussex Challenge Cup Final on Tuesday 29 April, with details to be confirmed in due course.
Lewes XI: Moore, Brant, Schreimaier, Glass-Oliver, Eze, Howells, Connolly-Brame, Harvey, Roche, Gilligan, Bacon
Subs (rolling): Godfrey, Ginger, Proctor, Carpenter
Words: Lily Perrill