Dartford 3 Millwall 2
London & SE Regional League Cup quarter-final, played on Sunday 4th February 2024
at Princes Park 3G Community pitch, kick-off 12.30
Dartford team: Jade Charlton, Gabby Howell, Chana Hinds, Jo Woodgates, Hannah Cleary,
Lizzie Adams, Shauni Griffiths, Bethany Powell, Paris Smith, Nicha Dyett, Xayla-Rae Alberts
Subs (all used): Georgie Davis, Meghan McKeag, Emily Woodhouse, Emily Vaughan
Scorers: Paris Smith, Nicha Dyett (penalty), Lizzie Adams
With a very strong wind blowing diagonally across the pitch and towards the stadium it made for a very difficult match for both sides.
The first chance of the match fell to Millwall on four minutes and Jade had to be agile to push the ball down and away from her goal for a corner. Then after ten minutes Jo Woodgates fired a great free-kick into the box and Xayla-Rae’s close-marker just about managed to whisk it off her foot and behind for a corner.
Dartford showed great promise attacking in the first third of Millwall’s half but the final delivery into the penalty area wasn’t quite there. Darts were continually getting good possession around the half-way line and their play was excellent until they reached the Millwall back four who were able to quell most of Dartford’s threats but on one occasion Shauni brought the ball from the half-way line and played a good pass out to Nicha. She got a good cross into the area and with two Millwall players getting in each other’s way the ball came towards Paris but unfortunately the ball just wouldn’t bounce kindly for her and the chance was gone.
The match fell into some scrappy minutes of play with balls either over-hit with the wind or under-hit against the wind.
Hannah started the game at left back and she played some enterprising balls up the left wing for Xayla-Rae, and all was good for Darts until they reached Millwall’s back four and fell short of getting in any shots to bother the keeper.
One good build up play from Lizzie, Shauni and Nicha, ended with a dangerous cross from Shauni but Xayla had anticipated the ball coming down near the penalty spot but instead the wind took it further and the ball fizzed across the goal-mouth beating everybody.
Just on the half-hour, after good work by Paris, the ball fell for Shauni, who beat her marker and fired in a great shot but the keeper had placed herself well and made a good save.
Five minutes later, Xayla-Rae whipped over a great cross but was just out of reach of Lizzie.
On 36 minutes Millwall’s corner kick from the right was delivered right under Jade’s crossbar and she did magnificently well to punch it clear, and from that clearance Nicha went off on a great run carrying the ball into Millwall’s half but the Lionesses defence forced her tight to the wing and so halted her charge. The Millwall defence mopped up at the back once the third defender surrounded her.
Two minutes later Darts had a great chance when Shauni produced another accurate cross but the keeper just managed to nick the ball off Paris.
Darts nearly took the lead in the 41st minute when another powerful shot was fired in by Shauni but struck a defender which took the sting out of the shot and the goalie made a diving save to her right.
Then just two minutes before half-time tragedy struck for Darts. A Millwall free-kick to the right of the penalty area was only partially cleared and a diagonal shot was fired in which beat Jade as it swerved across the goal-mouth and sneaked in at the far post.
There was just time for Darts to have another crack at Millwall’s goal and a good effort from Shauni was well saved down by the post.
HT 0-1
On 53 minutes Dartford hit back when Paris put a neat touch on the ball that sent it spinning out of reach of the goalie, tucking itself in at the right-hand post.
Generally, the Darts’ back four had held firm and more than often had stifled Millwall’s strikers but ten minutes after Darts had equalised, Millwall got their noses in front again, at 1-2, and then a couple of minutes later a snap shot from Millwall was well saved by Jade.
In a Darts’ attack, Emily Vaughan was fouled to the right of the penalty area. At the free-kick, Nicha touched the ball to Meghan who struck it beautifully but after a deflection off a defender the ball fell nicely for the goalie to gather it.
Beth pushed forward before feeding the ball to Emily Vaughan on the left whose cross was completely mis-kicked by a defender in front of goal but luckily spun out for a Darts’ corner.
On 77 minutes, Millwall’s No 9 was sent to the sin bin after earlier received a yellow card.
On 90 minutes Darts’ were awarded a penalty, the result of a defender who had her right arm outstretched and high at the time as Emily Vaughan touched the ball just in front of her. The referee judged that it struck her hand and so it was left to Nicha to fire it past the goal-keeper for Darts’ second equaliser of the night. 2-2
Dartford finished powerfully.
Into the final eight minutes or so added on through stoppages for long injury times and Jo tried to take full advantage with a long free-kick. She delivered one of her ‘specials’ that flew fast and furious towards the goal but it missed the crossbar by only inches.
But still Darts pushed for a decider and sure enough it came. On 93 minutes, Georgie came powering towards the edge of the penalty area and let fly a great shot. The keeper moved to her right, but the ball struck against the inside of her right-hand post and for once, the goalie’s evening of fortunate rebounds and deflections into her arms, turned sour and this rebound eluded her, the ball falling nicely for captain, Lizzie to crash it home for Darts’ winner. Lizzie was immediately swamped by her ecstatic team-mates.
League Cup quarter-finals
Dartford 3 Millwall Lionesses 2
Enfield Town 3 Dorking Wanderers 3 aet Dorking won 4-2 on pens
Fulham 0 Dulwich Hamlet 1
Saltdean Utd 4 Crawley AFC 3 aet 0-0 after 90 minutes
Sunday 3rd March 2024
League Cup semi-finals:
Dulwich Hamlet v Dartford at Dulwich
Dorking v Saltdean at Dorking
Report by Tony Brown
Photos by Taur Everared and Alex Barber ABcVideo