19th November 2018
Cheltenham Town Ladies Reserves are through to the quarter-finals of the GFA Women’s Trophy following a dramatic 5-4 win on penalties against Chipping Sodbury.
The game finished 1-1 in normal time, with Diana Toth scoring an early goal for Town.
Hannah Bingham was the hero, as she saved the deciding penalty to see her side progress into the next round of the tournament.
It was just over a minute into the game when Toth rounded the Chipping ‘keeper before calmly finishing with her left foot.
The instant goal looked as if it might break Sodbury’s game plan, but the visitors came back into the game and were well on top at the DN Fire Stadium.
The crossbar was rattled towards the end of the first-half when Chipping broke through the home defence far too easily, but the woodwork denied the visitors.
Just over an hour in, Chipping Sodbury equalised after a well-delivered free-kick was nodded home at the far post.
Cheltenham tried to respond, but the Sodbury defence stood firm and the game went straight to penalties.
The hosts’ captain Lydia Amarquaye slotted home the opening penalty and both teams scored their opening three penalties.
Goalscorer Toth saw her effort saved; before the following penalty was put wide by Chipping Sodbury.
Goalkeeper Bingham emphatically converted her spot kick before Chipping also scored.
Meg Briggs gave Cheltenham the advantage at 5-4, with the pressure kick then well saved by Bingham.
The game was well contested between two strong attacking sides. The visitors may be a bit disappointed with their efforts in front of goal in normal time, with some tremendous chances that were wasted.
Cheltenham Ladies manager Sarah Haden-Godwin was “very pleased” with her side’s determination to keep going following a second-half setback.
“I’m very pleased (with the side), I think we were really tested today. Especially when it went to penalties… nobody likes to lose on penalties; so, it’s great we won today,” the Cheltenham manager said.
Haden-Godwin also praised a “whole team effort” that saw her team progress into the quarter-finals.
