Town Women survive comeback to set up Stoke City Quarter Final.

 

Huddersfield Town Women triumphed 4-2 over Liverpool Feds in their final match of the year on Sunday afternoon and will face Stoke City in the Quarter Finals of the Women’s National League Cup.

 

Two early goals from Lucy Sowerby sent Town on their way to their fourth consecutive wins. Both goals came from defence-splitting through balls and Town’s top scorer dinked the ball over the visiting ‘keeper on each occasion to move onto fourteen for the season.

 

The Terriers were by far the better side in the first half and could have been two up before making the breakthrough as they struck the post after Laura Elford headed just wide from six yards.

 

Kate Mallin and Ellie White both saw shots crash back off the crossbar as the hosts came desperately close to extending their lead before the visitors halved the deficit just before the break.

 

Georgia Marshall slid in to make a last-ditch attempt to win the ball on the edge of the area but was adjudged to have fouled her man and the freekick was swept into the bottom corner – catching goalkeeper Lauren Joyce off guard at her near post.

 

Having missed so many opportunities to kill the game off before the Feds scored, Huddersfield were then pegged back even further as the away side drew themselves level. 

 

Liverpool Feds’ short interchanges caused the home side problems all afternoon and neat work in midfield from Chantelle Thompson released Carla Lee who fired past Joyce unerringly.

 

But that only spurred the Terriers into life. Moments later, three players beat the offside trap and Elford was on hand to repeat her FA Cup heroics to slot home with ease.

 

Town’s number ten almost had a second but was denied brilliantly by Libby Wright who dived at her feet to smother the ball bravely and felt the full impact of the striker.

 

She seemed to recover well, but Elford’s determination paid off when fired hard and low inside the near post after turning her marker inside out.

 

Huddersfield certainly made it harder than it should have been with a two-goal lead, but advance into the Quarter Finals for the third successive season. They fell to a 4-3 home to defeat at the hands of eventual winners Blackburn Rovers last term, but will surely have their sights on glory.