Blues crash out of FA Cup - losing 2-1 to Man Utd and hold of both domestic cup trophies in seven days
By Paul Lagan at Leigh Valley Sports Centre
Manchester United 2 v Chelsea 1
6,876
Chelsea crashed out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage as Manchester United held on in dramatic fashion to win 2-1.
Lauren James gave the Blues hope with a strike just before half-time, but they were already 2-0 down.
Despite dominating much of the following 45 minutes, the substitutions head coach Emma Hayes made had little impact. And the home side will now face Spurs in the final at Wembley next month.
This defeat follows on from the League Cup defeat last week to Arsenal, meaning that Chelsea have lost hold of two of their three domestic trophies in the space of seven days.
They face Aston Villa at home in the WSL on Wednesday as they try to rediscover their form and results.
Then it's off to Barcelona for a Champions League match.
In the first minute, disaster struck as the west Londoners were torn apart on the left – the ball was fed to the far post where Lucia Garcia nodded back across Hannah Hampton’s body and into the far side netting.
Ex-United player Lauren James skied an edge of the penalty area shot on six minutes as the Blues sought to get a foothold back in the tie.
Mary Earps did well on 14 minutes to smother an angled near post shot by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
The marauding winger should [perhaps have let her training leg behind and secured a penalty. But instead her left-sooted scuffer was smothered by the England goalkeeper.
With just their second attack, United went 2-0 up on 24 minutes.
Again the ball came from the left from Ella Toon e. Rachel Williams took the header with aplomb and again the ball ended up in the far corner of Hampton's goal.
Melanie Leupolz scuffed a shot on 27 minutes and it took a deflection off a corner.
Deep into five minutes added time, Mayra Ramirez who had only just got back on the pitch after a clash of heads with Aoife Mannion got her head to a Kaneryd right win cross, but could not direct the ball goal-bound.
A brilliant diving save to her left, by Earps thwarted the perfect header by James. Earps managed to just about tip the ball around the corner for a corner.
But James was more successful with seconds left, thumping a right-footer past Earps to reduce the deficit it to 2-1,
Millie Turner and James were yellow-carded for needless afters as James went hunting for the ball to get the game resumed, Turner, understandably less anxious.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.
Earps did very well to tip away a powerful James header on 50 minutes as the cup holders went in search of the equaliser.
Earps was twice in action as the Blues piled on the pressure.
Hayes decided that the time was right for Catarina Macario and Sjoeke Nusken to enter the fray and they replaced Guro Reiten and Kadeisha Buchanan on 71 minutes.
Fran Kirby soon followed along with Aggie Beever-Jones – off went Erin Cuthbert and Kaneryd with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Next on was Ashley Lawrence for Perisset.
United were doing everything they could to disrupt Chelsea, lots of sudden injuries which required treatment allowing some touchline tactics to be imparted.
Eight minutes were awarded, eight minutes to salvage Chelsea's FA Cup dream.
Hampton even went up for a corner as a last ditch attempt to level. It didn't go well.
Teams: Chelsea: Hampton, Perisset, Carter, Buchanan, Charles, Cuthbert, Leupolz, Kaneryd, James, Reiten, Ramirez
Subs: Musovic, Ingle, Nusken, Macario, Lawrence, Kirby, Hamano, Cankovic, Beever-Jones
Manchester United: Earps, le Tissier, Mannion, Blundell, Toone, Zelem, Galton, Naalsund, Garcia, Turner, Williams33ee
Subs: Tullis-Joyce, Guerrero, Malard, Ladd, Evans, Miyazawa, Parris, Da Silva Ferreira, Aherne
