Park Ladies win penalty shoot-out to progress in League Cup

Park Ladies 1, Eaton Socon 1

(Park win 4-1 on penalties)

Park hosted Eaton Socon in the third round of the League Cup in freezing conditions and won through to the quarter-finals on penalties.

Eaton Socon started very quickly, an early shot crashing off a post. However, Park began stringing some attacks together, playing some good football and looking for an opening but finding the Eaton defence difficult to break down.

The visitors had a good chance to take the lead when a through ball played in their striker, and she ran into the area but a good block from Sian Holcroft kept the scores level.

At the other end, Fran Plitsch saw an effort saved that was creeping in at the far post, Georgia Stimson hit a snapshot on the turn which the keeper gathered and Chloe Stanborough hit a looping shot that just went over the bar.

Park thought they had the opener when a through ball from Eilish Brown to Erin Powell was met by the keeper, only for her attempted clearance to be charged down by Powell – but the rebound took her very wide and she was closed down by a defender before she could finish.

Eaton were still looking to flood forward at every opportunity and had plenty of chances of their own, and it was they who would break the deadlock on the brink of half-time - Park lost possession on the left and their winger drove forward and hit the ball across the area for the onrushing forward to smash home at the far post from close range.

Park pulled level after the break when Hana Howsam whipped the ball across the area and Plitsch met it with a left-foot volley to smash home at close range.

Both teams were on the hunt for a winner and the visitors went close when a shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the bar by Holcroft and Charlotte Marshall cleared the rebound before it could be followed up.

After the game finished 1-1, it went to penalties, with Plitsch, Brown, Stimson and Player of the Match Stanborough scoring all four of Park’s spot kicks, whereas Socon missed two of theirs and saw another saved by Holcroft.

Park travel to face Real Bedford Reserves in the league next week in their final game of 2023.