With Manchester United going on a hot streak in England and abroad, Chelsea Women had a point to make: we can put a stop to this nonsense.
The Blues’ plan was to take charge of the pitch and keep the heat on the visitors at Kingsmeadow. Whereas United were happy to let Phallon Tullis-Joyce put on a goalkeeping workshop like she often does while their players upfront fought for a loose ball or two that could give them the lead. A well-known playbook for us at this point.
It worked in the first half as Tullis-Joyce was the name of the game for United. And things stayed largely the same in the second, up until Sam Kerr got us to finally make it past the wall imposed by the opposing shot-stopper.
Our little happiness didn’t last long as shambolic defence allowed Simi Awujo to equalise. On to extra time, we went!
Again United were happy to let us run into a wall and let things roll on the penalty shootout. We wanted otherwise and Naomi Girma took us closer to our objective with a goal in the first half of extra time.
Hannah Hampton, who didn’t have to work as hard as Tullis-Joyce during regular time, was put to the task in the last 15 minutes of play at Kingsmeadow. Even with the opposing goalkeeper adding numbers to the box, they weren’t able to do it like we do in moments like these.
* Lauren James remains in the false-nine position.
* We can’t complain about shot volume on Chelsea’s side.
* Good on Naomi Girma to find the back of the net when we needed it the most!
* Next up: Manchester United — again! — in the Women’s League Cup final.
* KTBFFH
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