Match Report: Chester-le-Street Ladies 3 – 2 Spennymoor Town Ladies

An Isla Maggs brace, alongside a Jenny Ashton finish, canceled out two handball penalty decisions, to send Chester-le-Street Ladies into the third round proper in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. 

Despite Chester-le-Street playing in the league above the newly promoted Spennymoor side, the first twenty minutes were end-to-end with both teams looking to get the edge on the other. 

Chester-le-Street took a 2-1 lead into the changing room at half-time, after the opener from Maggs in the 25th minute was followed by a loose ball poked home by Ashton in the 30th minute.  

The visitors pulled one back in the 40th minute when Autumn Colledge’s saved penalty was slotted away on the rebound by captain Courtney Mole. 

After the break, Spennymoor Town came out with fighting spirit, with another chance from Mole narrowly saved by the Chester-le-Street goalkeeper in the 54th minute. 

With persistent pressure from the home side, Maggs found a well-threaded ball from Lizzy Clarke, and powered it into the bottom right corner of Sophie Miller’s net, after 83 minutes played. 

Despite the two-goal gap, Spennymoor kept pushing and were rewarded for this when the referee pointed to the spot for a second handball foul, coolly finished by Mole for her brace in the 88th minute. 

Despite chances in added time, Spennymoor failed to equalise, therefore exiting the Women’s FA Cup in the second round proper to a commanding Chester-le-Street side.