Radbourne’s penalty heroics earns shootout win for Women’s Under-19s

Our Women’s Under-19s earned a bonus point in the Professional Game Academy League after a penalty shootout success over London City Lionesses on Wednesday following a 1-1 draw in normal time.

In what was our final game of the calendar year, Olivia Bennett opened the scoring direct from a corner inside the opening quarter of the contest, but we responded, levelling the clash around 10 minutes into the second half when Rania Oukriss netted her first goal of the season.

Both sides had opportunities to win the game in normal time, Eloise Summers-Mee and Oukriss both striking the woodwork while, at the other end, Erin Radbourne produced two huge saves in the closing stages to deny Chloe Kabo and force the game into a shootout.

Then, after 11 well-taken spot-kicks in the shootout, Radbourne was on hand to produce the heroics once again, pushing Rayne Bryan’s penalty on to the crossbar to win 6-5 and secure an extra point in the league ahead of the winter break.

We made a positive start to the contest as we looked to build on last week’s 2-0 win over Liverpool, Grace Bellwood sending a half-volley wide of the target inside the opening minutes after her initial effort was blocked from Heidi Hills’ cross. Lionesses carved out their first opportunity shortly after, but it was Grace Breen who provided the block to send Habfebat Gbajabiamila’s effort wide. However, from the resulting corner, Bennett’s delivery from the far left sailed over a number of bodies inside the box and found the side-netting at the back-post to open the scoring.

A lengthy stoppage in play midway through the first half, after an injury to one of the Lionesses’ players, impacted the momentum in the game as both sides struggled to create many more opportunities once play got back underway. Bryan sliced an effort wide while we had one last chance in the final minute of regulation time but Emily Drinkwater-Robinson got down low to her right left to push Heidi Hills’ low curler from the edge of the box on the left around the post.

Hills provided the attacking outlet minutes after the restart, this time curling wide from the far left of the box as we pushed for an equaliser and, 10 minutes later, we found the goal we needed. It all started from some excellent work by Nife Aramide on the halfway line to win possession back before travelling to the edge of the box to slide Oukriss through and she picked out the bottom corner with a low drive on her left foot. That goal swung momentum into our favour, Holly-Mae Elmes testing Drinkwater-Robinson with a strong connection on the volley from outside the area before Oukriss struck the outside of the post with a looping volley from Aimee Bush’s cross.

We then came inches away from taking lead on 68 minutes but it was the woodwork which denied us once again, Summers-Mee’s strike from distance hitting the underside of the crossbar. Despite pushing for the advantage, it was the away side who were finishing the game strongly as we entered the final quarter-of-an-hour. With seven minutes left of normal time, Gabo thought she had reinstated their lead, but she was adjudged to have been in an offside position from Maya Socknathan’s pull back to centre of the area.

Then, in stoppage time, we were indebted to some fantastic saves from Radbourne, who first denied Gabo in an one-on-one opportunity with a strong stop with her foot to deflect it around the post before once again facing Gabo in an one-on-one scenario, and our shot stopper came out on top for a second time before Breen reacted quickly to block the rebound to earn us a draw in the league, with a bonus point up for grabs in the subsequent penalty shootout.

Both sides calmly converted their first five spot-kicks in the contest to force the shootout into sudden death and after Breen netted our sixth penalty, who then received a red card for an incident off the ball, Radbourne was at full stretch to push Bryan’s effort on to the crossbar and claim the 6-5 win.

Penalty shootout takers

Spurs - Oukriss – scored

Lionesses - Vennard – Scored

Spurs - Summers-Mee – scored

Lionesses - Loom – scored

Spurs - Barlett-Antwi – scored

Lionesses - Johnson – scored

Spurs - Barraclough – scored

Lionesses - Cunningham – scored

Spurs - Elmes – scored

Lionesses - Powroznik – scored

Spurs - Breen – scored

Lionesses - Bryan – Saved

"I’m pleased we got our reward by seeing out the penalty shootout to earn two points to conclude the calendar year"

Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Sabiha Jamal said: “I was pleased with our honest reflections at half time to acknowledge we need to be better. We dropped our heads too quickly when we conceded a goal against the run of play in the first half. However, we show our reaction to fight in the second period to get us back in to the game, but it arguably could have gone either way after a huge save from Erin and great individual defending. I’m pleased we got our reward by seeing out the penalty shootout to earn two points to conclude the calendar year. We also had another young squad at our disposal, with a number of first years starting and seeing out 90 minutes while three Under-16s in the matchday squad, showcasing the player pathway into the team ahead of the second half campaign.”

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Oukriss 55; London City Lionesses - Bennett 13.

Yellow cards: London City Lionesses - Sockanathan 90+1.

Red card: Spurs - Breen (Penalty Shootout).

Referee: Craig Stiles.

Venue: Hotspur Way.

Weather: Dry but with a cold breeze, nine degrees.