Portsmouth Ladies reach Women's Euro Winners Cup final in dramatic style

Perry Northeast's side battled from behind to defeat French outfit CSO Amneville in the semi-final of the competition in Nazare, Portugal yesterday.

Despite being 3-0 down after just three minutes, Portsmouth showed a gallant attitude to win 5-4 to set up a clash with Russian side WFC Zevezda for the European cup.

Portsmouth started the last-four battle slowly and found themselves 3-0 down after only three minutes, with every French attack resulting in a goal.

However, Northeast's side fought back with strikes from Jade Wooderson and Pompey Hall-of-Famer Gemma Hillier to go into the first interval 3-2 down.

In the second period, a missed penalty from Portsmouth was followed soon punished by another French goal, so the Blues were 4-2 down going into the third and final 12-minute period.

With Amneville's attacking force being blunted by an excellent Portsmouth defence, Northeast's ladies pressed forward.

Clarke beat two players on the left-hand touchline and then curled a shot into the top right-hand corner.

Three minutes later Hillier crossed the ball in from the right, splitting the defence, giving Sarah Kempson a tap-in.

With the game poised at 4-4, Northeast then played both his strikers in tandem to avoid going into extra-time - and it paid dividends.

In the final two minutes Clarke hit the post, and then the bar.

But it proved third-time lucky for the Portsmouth ace when she found the top right-hand corner of the net with one second left on the clock to send her side into the final.

Portsmouth face WFC Zevezda for the Women’s Euro Winners Cup title later today

Full squad: Katie James, Shannon Sievwright, Jade Widdowson, Sarah Kempson, Leeta Rutherford, Gemma Hillier, Molly Clark, Lucy Quinn, Hannah Short, Rebecca Barron, Hannah Haughton, Paxton Scott.