Albion held then lose penalty shoot-out

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Goalless 90 minutes against Leicester City in League Cup but Foxes pick up extra point by winning penalty shootout 4-3.

Bruce Talbot

2024-11-24T16:00+00:00

Michelle Agyemang holds off Ruby Mace. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Albion had to settle for a point from their second League Cup group stage match after losing a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw against Leicester City at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.

Leicester had the better chances in a goalless 90 minutes but Albion had control of the penalty shoot-out when Melina Loeck dived to her left to save Yuka Momiki’s spot-kick after Nikita Parris, Jelena Cancovic and Kiko Seike had all scored.

But Michelle Agyemang put her penalty wide and Maisie Symonds’ effort was kept out by Lize Kop, allowing Deanne Rose to win the shootout 4-3 for the Foxes.

Rachel McLauchlan holds off Ruby Mace. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Albion can still qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Bristol City in their final Group D match at home on 11 December.

Dario Vidosic had kept rotation to a minimum, bringing in goalkeeper Loeck, Bruna Vilamala and Agyemang and naming three under-19s on the bench.

Poppy Pattinson made some great attacking runs. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley

Leicester have only won one WSL game this season but they looked the team most likely to break the deadlock in a goalless first half when Albion had some good spells of possession but failed to test keeper Kop until Rachel McLauchlan’s shot from the D four minutes before half-time had the Foxes' keeper scrambling to her right to watch it go past the post.

At the other end Ruby Mace saw an early effort from a good position deflected wide after she’d been spotted by Momiki. Momiki fired straight at Loeck from a good position and it needed a block by Symonds to deflect Hannah Cain’s left-foot strike wide.

Kiko Seike attacks Asmita Ale. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley

Leicester continued to look the more threatening side after the break and with his side struggling to make any attacking headway Dario Vidosic brought on Nikita Parris and Jelena Cancovic on the hour.

Loeck was beaten in the 64th minute but fortunately for Albion Momiki’s shot came back off the crossbar – the closest either side had been to the opening goal. Saori Takarada had the ball in the net moments later after Loeck parried Momiki’s shot but she was offside.

Madison Haley finds her progress impeded. 📷 by Kyle Hemsley.

Loeck was called upon again to turn Mace’s cross-shot wide but when Jorelyn Carabali came on and allowed Symonds to move into midfield Albion finally started to threaten as the game got increasingly stretched.

Marisa Olislagers rattled a 20-yarder just wide but Kop still wasn’t seriously tested and C.J. Bott nearly won it in stoppage time but her low drive across the face of goal was deflected just past the post.

Penalties it was and it was the visitors who held their nerve.

Albion: Loeck, McLauchlan, Symonds, Bergsvand, Pattinson, Haley (Parris 60), Olislagers, Losada (Carabali 72), Sieke, Vilamala (Cancovic 60), Ageymang.