Pompey are penalty queens again as they complete trophy treble against Moneyfields in Portsmouth FA cup final

Pompey celebrate after beating Moneyfields on penalties. Picture: Dave Haines.

Ava Rowbotham scored the winner as the Blues ran out 3-1 victors on spot-kicks at Westleigh Park.

Pompey struck the woodwork FOUR times but could not find a way through in normal time as it ended goalless.

However, Carla Nicholson and Roxy Lee-Stewart both missed from the spot while Hannah Haughton saved from Kim Whitcombe as Pompey retained the PDFA Women's Cup crown.

Pompey's Ava Rowbotham, left. Picture by Dave Haines.

It was a second final victory on penalties in a matter of weeks, following on from beating Southampton FC to lift the Hampshire Women's Senior Cup at the ame ground.

The Blues also beat two divisions lower Moneys in the delayed 2019-20 season PDFA Women's Cup final back in October at Baffins’ PMC Stadium.

Katie James, who announced before the match this would be her last for the club after an eight-year stay, saw her thunderbolt tipped onto the crossbar by Lauren Sayler as Pompey came so close to an opener on 17 minutes.

The woodwork would thwart the Blues twice more in what turned out to be a frustrating first half for them.

Pompey's Mia Adaway on the ball. Picture by Dave Haines.

Jade Widdows worked some room before seeing her strike cannon back out off the post and Rowbotham's effort on the rebound crashed against the bar on 25 minutes.

Kayleigh Tonks fired wide of the far post at the other end less than a minute later, but Moneyfields would have been content to still be level heading into the interval.

Laura Ingram was handed a let-off after being caught in possession just before the hour mark. The ball broke kindly for Sheree Bell-Jack, who could only fire straight at Haughton.

Pompey thought they’d finally made the breakthrough 17 minutes from time, only for Shannon Albuery to be flagged offside having reacted quickest to fire home after Sayler had tipped Widdows’ effort onto the post.

Sayler then came to Moneyfields’ rescue three minutes from time with a brilliant double stop.

First, she superbly tipped James’ long-range strike onto the crossbar before diverting Jazz Younger’s rebound around the post.

TEAMS

Pompey: Haughton; Tonks, Younger, Ingram, Bridge, Rowe, James, Rowbotham, Adaway, Albuery, Widdows. Subs: Jones (Tonks, 55), Currie (Ingram, 67), Cunningham (Adaway, 67), Mason, Laidlaw.

Moneyfields: Sayler; Eldridge, Goodall, Lee-Stewart, Ribiero-McKeag, Tonks, Vallely, Nicholson, Boylan, Whitcombe, Bell-Jack. Subs: Lawrence (Eldridge, 74), Seeley (Bell-Jack, 82), Bloomfield (Vallely, 88), Webster, Pinhorne.