MANCHESTER CITY 1, CHELSEA 0 (FA Cup Semi Final)
Manchester City’s women’s team will head to Wembley to contest the Women’s FA Cup final against West Ham after an injury time own goal by Magdalena Eriksson condemned visitors Chelsea to defeat.
Holders Chelsea had struck the woodwork twice inside the space of four second half minutes as they looked more dangerous in front of goal during the game.
They couldn’t score in normal time against a subdued Manchester City side who sustained injuries to Steph Houghton and Jen Beattie as Chelsea threw everything at City to try and secure extra time after conceding the late goal through Eriksson.
Each side had chances in an absorbing FA Cup game.
Erin Cuthbert shot straight into the arms of Karen Bardsley after a lay off by Kirby from inside the box in the 3rd minute.
Georgia Stanway cut the ball back for Nikita Parris who rolled her shot into the arms of Ann-Katrin Berger.
Caroline Weir’s shot was blocked while her free kick to Jill Scott was headed into Berger’s arms.
The home side looked to be getting into their usual stride but were soon in difficulty as Chelsea upped their game.
Ramona Bchmann started to find Fran Kirby with unerring ease and the diminutive England forward had one chance blocked by Bardsley’s feet.
City were giving away possession and corners to Chelsea who were not shy in coming forward to trying their luck with Kirby, Drew Spence, and Karen Carney’s delivery into the box made worse by City sitting deep as Chelsea pressed them.
City only started to break out of their shell towards the end of the first half.
Stanway shot wide on a rare City attack and Parris’ shot rolled agonisingly across the front of the goal line without anyone to tap it in a minute later.
Tessa Wullaert’s delivery from wide on the right was collected by Berger as City sporadically threatened but Kirby reminded City of her presence with a shot over the bar after being put clean through again in the 45th minute.
City secure victory over Chelsea in the cruellest of ways
City improved after the restart, winning an early corner and Stanway’s corner was brought down by Scott who laid it off to Houghton wide on the left but her shot was easy to save for Berger.
Stanway picked out Wullaert but her cutback was cleared and Chelsea duly came back into the game with a low free kick under the wall by Maren Mjelde which nearly surprised Bardsley after Kirby was fouled by Wullaert.
Bardsley also had to save a flighted header soon afterwards as Chelsea gave City the run around again.
Janine Beckie replaced Weir after Nick Cushing made the first change on 69 minutes.
But Chelsea struck the crossbar after Erin Cuthbert’s free kick was headed by Kirby upwards and on to the woodwork with 14 minutes to go after Stanway’s rash tackle on Ingle.
Ingle’s ball to the right found Cuthbert with 10 minutes to go and her rasping shot struck the inside of the post and rolled along the face of goal without any Chelsea player nearby for the tap in.
Stanway’s cross from the left was spilled by Berger who quickly recovered the ball as City players converged on her as normal time ran out.
Chelsea made a double change with Ji So Yun and Beth England replacing Bachmann and Spence in the 86th minute.
Demi Stokes hit a hopeful cross into the area and Magdelena Eriksson miscontrolled the ball on her 6 yard line and she could only look in horror as it looped up off her boot and over Berger and into her own goal.
There was mayhem right at the end as Houghton and Jen Beattie collided as Chelsea threw everything at City to get an equaliser.
Houghton appeared to have hurt her left arm in the collision.
Kirby jarred her shin after her shot was blocked and Eriksson was booked for a cynical foul on Parris as City tried to break.
At the end, though the luckless Eriksson was inconsolable as City celebrated a hard fought victory in fortunate circumstances.
GOAL – Manchester City 1, Chelsea 0
Man City Women 1, Chelsea Women 0: 90+2. Demi Stokes’ left wing hopeful cross into the area was intercepted by Magdalena Eriksson who attempted to control the ball but ended up looping it over Ann-Katrin Berger for an extremely unlucky own goal in injury time.
MATH STATS – Manchester City 1, Chelsea 0
Man City Women: Bardsley, McManus, Houghton, Beattie, Stokes, Walsh, Scott, Stanway, Weir (Beckie 69), Wullaert, Parris (Bonner 90+7)
Man City Women Subs not used: Roebuck, Bremer, Hemp, Campbell, Emslie
Bookings: Wullaert 60 (brought Kirby down 20 yards from goal), Stanway 75 (sliding in on Sophie Ingle)
Goal: Eriksson 90+2 og
Chelsea Women: Berger, Bright, Ingle, Carney, Kirby, Eriksson, Mjelde, Andersson, Cuthbert, Bachmann (England 86), Spence (Ji 86)
Chelsea Women Subs not used: Lidahl, Thorisdottir, Blundell, Carter, Riley
Booking: Ingle 17 (sliding in on Jill Scott), Eriksson 90+4 (foul on Nikita Parris)
Referee: Rebecca Welch
Attendance: 1726