Chelsea have retained the Vitality Women’s FA Cup for a third year after defeating Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley in this season’s final.
Sam Kerr netted the only goal midway through the second half as Chelsea somehow managed to win the contest despite being far from at their best.
Manchester United started the game at bullet speed and they had the ball in the back of the net inside a minute. Leah Galton converted after Chelsea had failed to deal with an Ella Toone cross, however, the latter was offside in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.
The Red Devils again went close to breaking the deadlock just after the half-hour mark. A free-kick caused chaos in the Chelsea box and Millie Turner took a shot but Ann-Katrin Berger got a glove to the ball to push it wide.
Chelsea’s only major opportunity of the opening period came four minutes before the half-time interval. Lauren James got her head on a cross but the ball was kept out by a combination of Mary Earps and the far post.
Both sides had half-chances early in the second half. Alessia Russo out-muscled Maren Mjelde before shooting at Berger from distance. A mistake from Maya Le Tissier then gifted Kerr possession at the other end. The forward played the ball across goal for substitute Pernille Harder who scuffed her effort at Earps.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 68th minute when the lively Harder crossed for Kerr to score yet another cup final goal for Chelsea, her 10th in six domestic cup finals.
The Blues had a great chance to double their lead late in the game when Kerr played the ball to Sophie Ingle but the Welsh international ballooned her shot into the stand.
Manchester United went close to levelling matters at the death when Chelsea struggled to deal with a cross but Kadeisha Buchanan produced a vital last-ditch clearance.
The game ended 1-0 with Chelsea winning their fifth Vitality Women’s FA Cup and their third in as many years.