Huddersfield Town Ladies’ Under 14 side have added the League Cup to their championship crown after a 3-2 win over Doncaster Belles in a final that went to extra time.
Town headed to Dronfield for the second week running, but this time in an attempt to complete back to back league and cup doubles by winning the Sheffield and Hallam League Cup.
Again their opponents were the Belles, who are the only team this season to have beaten Town and the only team in three years to have beaten them in a cup game.
As in most of the previous meetings between these two sides it was a close affair with chances at a premium and it needed extra time to split them.
Town started brightly and Tara Duce shot over, but it was the Belles who took the lead as Town failed to clear the ball and a shot from the edge of the area beat the diving Isobel Pare in the Town goal.
The lead only lasted two minutes as good work between Rose Priestley and Ella Harris resulted in the ball being spread to Duce on the wing and her cross was met by Amy Broomhead who made no mistake from six yards.
For the next 25 minutes the game was played mainly in midfield, although Pare did make a good save at the feet of the Belles attacker.
With five minutes to go to half-time a moment of individual skill by Olivia Bennett resulted in Town taking the lead.
Bennett went inside one defender and then outside the next to reach the dead ball line and her cross was met by Harris at the back post.
The second half was scrappy as Town struggled to create chances and the only significant moment came from Doncaster when a move down the right resulted in the ball ending up in Town’s net from an acute angle.
A rather unusual seven minutes each way of extra-time were to be played with penalties looming.
Three minutes into the first period of extra time keeper Pare made a great save as the Belles forced a corner, but it was top scorer Broomhead who settled the match three minutes later.
Harris and Eleanor Smith combined to send a ball through the centre which Broomhead reached before the Belles keeper and finished well.
The second period of extra time was all one way as Town kept possession well and could have extended their lead when Smith hit a first time shot from the edge of the area which came back off the bar.
Doncaster are again the opponents at the weekend at Grange Moor in the penultimate league game of the campaign where a win will take Town past last year’s tally of 53 points.
Town’s Under 12 side were 8-2 winners at home to Sheffield United Community Ladies.
Alicia Marriott had Town’s first shot on goal which the visiting keeper pushed away for a corner.
The corner was taken by Marriott and was diverted into goal by a Sheffield defender.
Sheffield showed their attacking skills and a shot was well saved by Town keeper Rebecca Morris.
Town had good efforts from Marriott and Macy Ellis before Marriott pounced on a poor clearance and shot home in the 19th minute.
Two minutes later Ellis ran onto a ball behind the Sheffield defence and shot home, Sheffield pulled a goal back in the 23rd minute to make the score 3-1 at half-time remained.
Town dominated the second half and increased their lead in the 38th minute when Ellis converted a Jessica Bell pass.
Two minutes later, Sophie Jackson-Sharp beat the keeper with a long range shot and good work by Jackson-Sharp and Olivia Beaumont created a chance for Ellis to make the score 6-1.
Beaumont scored a trademark goal from close in after 45 minutes, and though Sheffield grabbed a second goal with five minutes to go and Ellis struck again with her fourth goal of the game in the final minute. On Saturday the under 12’s are at home (Grange Moor) to Steel City Juniors (10.30am).
Town Ladies first team’s scheduled game away at Cheadle Heath was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, but they are at home on Sunday (Storthes Hall) when Chester-le-Street are the visitors (2pm).
