Exeter City Women suffered a cruel defeat in the Adobe Women's FA Cup on Sunday as Chatham Town progressed in a penalty shootout.

A trio of back-to-back-to-back home games for the Grecians at Coach Road was concluded on Sunday, with Chatham Town making the long journey from Kent to battle it out for a spot in the third round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup.

Confidence coming into the game for Abbie Britton's side will have come following a dominant display a week prior against AFC Wimbledon, continuing a gradual rise up the Women's National League Southern Premier table. The visiting Chats came into the game looking for a return to winning ways, narrowly missing out at home to Norwich City in the Women's National League South East the previous Sunday.

Two changes for the Grecians came in the form of Ishbel Zuurmond and Phoebe Baker rejoining the starting XI, Ellie Sara missing out on the team sheet through a concussion injury. 

First Half

City should have been ahead in the opening minute, Ishbel Zuurmond’s low cross was volleyed over the crossbar from close range by Sarah Stacey. Zuurmond was found by Phoebe Baker’s pinpoint pass soon afterwards, but her low cross was too close to Simone Eligon in the Town goal as she held comfortably.

The crowd were on their feet moments later, Stacey’s pass finding Maddie Durrant who chipped the advancing Eligon. The effort looked to have given City the lead, but the ball had dropped the wrong side of the net and the stalemate continued.

The home support would not have to wait much longer for the opener however, Emily Poole winning a corner and as the cleared ball bounced on the edge of the penalty area, Phoebe Baker hit a sweet strike into the bottom corner to give the Grecians the lead.

With an opportunity to take a firm hold of the tie, City laboured. Space was being found in wide areas, only for the final pass to lack the precision to offer shooting chances. It was a passage of play that they would come to regret. 

A linesman’s flag denied Town an equaliser, but it would come moments later from a Grecians error. Abbi Bond’s pass failed to find a red and white shirt and Ellie Jeffkins took the gift to clip the ball into the unoccupied net.

Gillies had a chance to restore the lead before the break, racing clear from a Town mistake, but her drilled effort was over the top of Eligon’s crossbar.

Second Half

A volleyed effort into the side netting underlined Chatham’s growing belief as the second half commenced, the Grecians continuing to have good territoty but failing to deliver the opportunities that would result in clear-cut chances.

As has been the case in recent weeks, the substitutes were asked to provide a spark to the Grecian's performance, and they delivered once more. Gillies’ pass finding the newly introduced Georgia Vaccaro who drilled a low effort that was kept out by the impressive Eligon. Fearne Slocombe produced more good goalkeeping with an effort from distance that was tipped over the crossbar, and from the resulting corner City would find the lead once more.

Jess Sandland’s consistent delivery was a real asset for City, and her corner was met by the head of Vaccaro as the Grecians regained the lead in the tie. It was the sixteen-year old’s third goal in her last five games in what is fast becoming a breakthrough season.

With five minutes remaining the visitors would level again, a Jeffkins strike from distance was misjudged by Bond and the ball hit the back of the net. Zuurmond had a late chance to win it, but her effort was deflected wide, and the game went to a shootout.

Town were clinical from the spot and City were left to rue two missed penalties of their own as the FA Cup lived up to its name in a dramatic finale to this tie.

Up Next

A disappointing afternoon for the Grecians, they will now look to the remaining league game against Cheltenham Town on 7th December to end the calendar year on a high and continue their rise in the Southern Premier Division.

Exeter City XI: Bond (GK), Poole (Ireland 72'), Sandland, Jackson (C), Toogood (Slocombe 72'), Burridge, Baker (Seaman 72'), Zuumond, Durrant (Pollock 56'), Stacey (Vaccaro 56'), Gillies.

Exeter City Unused Subs: Giles (GK).

Exeter City Goalscorers: Baker 14', Vaccaro 76'.

Chatham Town XI: Elgin (GK), Auguste, Hynes, Perkins, Charles, Jeffkins, Sharp, O'Shea, Jones, King, Wellington.

Chatham Town Unused Subs: A. Woodgate (GK), M. Woodgate, Baravik, Russ, Sareen, Wright, Iton.

Chatham Town Goalscorers: Jeffkins 41', 86'.