Cambridge City exit Women’s FA Cup with penalty shootout defeat to Stevenage
Two well-taken goals from captain Jade Barratt and an inspired performance by goalkeeper Erica Meale were not enough for Cambridge City as they suffered penalty shootout heartbreak in the first round of the Women’s FA Cup on Sunday, writes Robert Coe.
The Lilywhites twice went ahead but were pegged back by the more experienced visitors before before Barratt and top goalscorer Faith Harrison missed their spot kicks in the sudden death finale that saw City eliminated.
The City players were distraught at the end but Barratt has urged her young team, with an average age of just 17, to use the defeat as a spur for the rest of season.
“Obviously penalties are always a cruel way to go out and this one hurts for all of us but I am so proud of the whole squad for the way they carried themselves today, fought for each other, and took a good Stevenage side all the way to penalties,” said the skipper whose team has banked £8,500 in prize money.
“If you reflect on the league defeat to Stevenage earlier this season versus today’s result, it shows how far we’ve come as a squad. It’s now time to use the hurt and the drive and get back to winning ways in the league.”
City’s attack-minded play brought the opening goal early on in the ti when Natasha Coe won the ball high up the pitch and immediately fed Barratt, who calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper.
The action went from one penalty box to to the other penalty box for the remainder of the half, with City eventually heading into the break a goal to the good.
However, Stevenage equalised just four minutes after the restart via Rebecca Edge’s head from a free-kick.
The visitors then got on top but against the run of play City regained the lead in the 74th minute. Barratt was again the scorer – this time converting from the penalty spot after Harrison’s effort had been handled inside the box.
As the game entered the closing stages City were still defending well with last ditch tackles and more heroics from Meale, but a momentary lapse of concentration saw Stevenage’s Amy Makewell bundle the ball into the back of the net in the 90th minute.
After seeing his side exit the competition during the subsequent spot kicks, manager Stewart Nicholls said: “I could go on forever buy they all worked their socks off and deserved more.
“In the league game, they caught us out on the wing, and today, we told the full-back to be touch tight. They did that really well and Erica was magnificent in goal. But unfortunately, sometimes football is cruel.”
City will return to Eastern Region Premier Division on Sunday (November 10) at home against Watford’s development team.
