Leicester City are into the FA Women’s Continental League Cup semi-finals after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 at Hayes Lane this evening.
The Foxes were not at their most deadly in attack but they eventually overcame a well-drilled Palace side thanks to Natasha Flint’s stunning 88th-minute free-kick.
Palace went the closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening stages of the match but Ashleigh Goddard was unable to direct her volley on target.
Quality goalscoring opportunities were few and far between throughout the opening 45 minutes. Home keeper Emma Gibbon was alert to the goal threat of Leicester City forward Flint who was struggling to trouble the Palace goal while the lively Lachante Paul was unable to get a shot on target as she curled an effort wide.
Flint’s best chance of the half came just before the break when she fizzed a shot at goal from just a few yards but her effort was straight at Gibbon who got her body behind the ball.
The second half was equally as uneventful as far as the goalkeepers were concerned. Gibbon again got the better of Flint after Sophie Howard had kept the ball in play and hooked it towards the Leicester City forward before the Palace keeper had to be alert to deny Paul. Excluding those interventions, the Palace keeper was largely untroubled other than when she had to pick the ball out of the net later in the half.
Flint missed arguably her side’s best chance of the game after Gibbon had spilt Esmee de Graaf’s low cross, the striker prodding the ball narrowly over the bar when she looked certain to score. Substitute Charlie Devlin also went close for The Foxes but she volleyed wide with the clock ticking down.
The tie looked set for extra-time until Leicester City were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Palace box two minutes from time. Remi Allen tapped the ball into Flint’s path and she unleashed a rocket of a shot which nestled in the top corner of the net.
Leicester City join Bristol City in the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Continental League Cup with those ties likely to be staged next month.
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