Portsmouth Women end season as treble winners thanks to penalties victory over Moneyfields Women in the Portsmouth Division FA Cup final

Pompey Women completed a treble of trophy wins this season with a penalties victory over Moneyfields Women in the Portsmouth Divisional FA Cup final this evening.
Ava Rowbotham scored the winning penalty for Pompey Women in the shoot-out. Picture: Dave HainesAva Rowbotham scored the winning penalty for Pompey Women in the shoot-out. Picture: Dave Haines
Ava Rowbotham scored the winning penalty for Pompey Women in the shoot-out. Picture: Dave Haines

Ava Rowbotham scored the winner in the shoot-out as the Blues ran out 3-1 victors at Westleigh Park.

Pompey struck the woodwork FOUR times but could not find a way through in normal time as it ended 0-0.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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.

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

The Blues also beat Moneys Women in the delayed 2019-20 season PDFA Women's Cup final back in October to complete a silverware treble this term.

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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The woodwork would thwart the Blues twice more in what turned out to be a frustrating first half for them. Jade Widdows worked some room before seeing her strike cannon back out off the post and Ava Rowbotham's effort on the rebound crashed against the crossbar on 25 minutes.

Kayleigh Tonks fired wide of the far post at the other end less than a minute later, but Moneyfields Women 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 Hannah 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.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Goalkeeper 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.

Pompey needed penalties but Rowbotham slotted home the winning spot-kick to ensure they claimed a 3-1 shhot-out to end the season with some more silverware.

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

Moneyfields Women: 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.