Shootout success for Women’s Under-19s at Lionesses

An excellent fightback saw our Women’s Under-19s come from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at London City Lionesses before heroics from Sophie Jackson in the subsequent penalty shootout saw us picked up a bonus point in the Professional Game Academy League on Wednesday.

Two goals in each half from captain Tara Walsh and Lucy Hope seemed to have put the home side in control of the clash in Kent by the hour mark, but our youngsters showed plenty of character in the final quarter of the game to produce a stunning comeback.

Substitute Poppy Neill pulled one back from the penalty spot before Grace Bellwood continued her fine goalscoring form as she netted the equaliser five minutes from time - her third in as many games - to earn a valuable point, before a penalty shootout determined the bonus point.

Jackson, who recently represented the England Under-20s, produced the heroics to save all three of London City’s attempts while Rania Oukriss, Lucy Barraclough and Lexi Withey converted their penalties to see us prevail 3-0 in the shootout and claim the extra point.

Defender Evie Northwood was a late second-half substitute to make her first competitive appearance for our Under-19s since October, 2024, when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at Bristol City and wasn't fazed about the occasion, getting stuck into challenges and being composed in possession.

The opening quarter of the game saw us play some good football but lacked that cutting edge in the final third although Oukriss saw a low curling effort from the edge of the box straight into the hands of Matilda Lawrence. Instead, London City punished us from a corner kick just after half hour mark, Jackson unable to gather a deep delivery to the back post and Walsh was there to poke home after a scramble inside the six-yard box.

Hope fired a half volley on the turn over the bar while we continued to play some good football in the build-up for the closing stages of the first period, yet we struggled to carve out many clear-cut opportunities as we went into the break with a one-goal deficit. Searching for a response in the second period, Bellwood blasted over the bar from the inside the right of box six minutes after the restart, however, on 56 minutes, we were handed a blow as London City doubled their lead.

A quick counter from the home side saw Maya Sockanathan raced behind our backline and although Jackson produced a low save to deny her low drive from the right, Hope was there to slot home in the empty net on the rebound. Neill, alongside Daisy May Bird, was introduced in the 69th minute and three minutes into her cameo, she was brought down inside the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Neill stepped up and calmly converted into the bottom corner to halve the deficit and giving us plenty of belief to complete the comeback.

With the momentum in our favour, we were on the front foot while London City still posed a threat on the counter. It wasn’t that often though as we controlled large spells of the game and Oukriss had a good opportunity at goal, but Lawrence was equal to her low effort at the near post. The deserved equaliser eventually came five minutes from time, Breen, who put in another mature performance at the back and in midfield, found Bellwood centrally just inside the area, she worked the ball on to her left foot before curling low into the bottom corner. The closing stages saw both sides for a winning goal in normal time and the final chance fell to London City when Chloe Kabo found space inside the left side of the box but she could only send her effort into the side-netting, as the game ended all level and headed into a subsequent penalty shootout for a bonus point.

Jackson produced a fantastic one-handed save to deny Emily Vennard in their first spot-kick, with Oukriss converting our first, before she was on hand to keep out the home side’s following two penalties and, after Barraclough netted our second, Withey showed composure to step up and blast home her penalty to earn us a 3-0 win and the extra point.

Penalty shootout

Oukriss - scored

Vennard - saved

Barraclough - scored

Walsh - saved

Withey - scored

Bennett - saved

Match data

Goals: Lionesses - Walsh 31, Hope 55; Spurs - Neill 74, Bellwood 85.

Yellow cards: Sockanathan 64.

Referee: Abi Oyfleke.

Venue: London City Lionesses Training Ground.

Weather: Sunny with a cold breeze, 16 degrees.