Sutton’s women were knocked out of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on penalties at Herne Bay after the game had finished 1-1 after ninety minutes. Sutton paid for a slow start, conceding after just four minutes when a long range effort from Abbie Potter evaded the reach of goalkeeper Kacey Berry, promoted from the reserves, who got a touch on the shot but couldn’t prevent it going in off the post. Berry scrambled another shot from Potter round the post as Herne Bay had the better of the early stages, but as the half progressed Sutton came in to the game more and both Jaz Backhurst and Millie Cutler sent shots just too high.
An equaliser seemed certain early in the second half when Beth Humphrey’s pass found its way through to Gabby Buddle Smith who took the ball round goalkeeper Edie Kelly and was about to tap it in to an empty net when a superb challenge from Tiffany Adby forced the ball out for a corner. Cutler then hit the bar from a free kick, and Backhurst also hit a free kick that was saved by Kelly, and despite all the pressure it seemed as though the equaliser would evade U’s until substitute Hannah Baptiste was fouled just outside the penalty area and this time Cutler’s free kick was struck low in to the bottom corner.
Neither side could force a winner, and in the penalty shoot out Humphrey, Cutler, Eden Clark and Caitlin Savage all scored, but with Herne Bay matching them, including a penalty from Kelly, the goalkeeper then tipped Maddie Heavingham-Ford’s spot kick on to the bar and Hannah Styles beat Berry to win the tie for Herne Bay, who had beaten Margate on penalties in the previous round.
Sutton: K Berry, S Modak (sub M Heavingham-Ford 86), B Humphrey, M Creaser(sub C Savage 67), Z Walters, K Burch-Waldron(sub T-A Bussey 77), G Buddle-Smith(sub E Clark 77), J Backhurst, M Cutler, A Thomas (sub H Baptiste 77), E Spear.
The reserves won 3-1 away to Old Tiffinians.
