Women’s FA Cup Second round

Chorley FC Women 1

Brighouse Town AFC Women 2

(aet extra time 1-1 at 90 mins)

CHORLEY FC Women lost their first cup game of the season as they suffered extra time heartache against Brighouse Town who fought back to book their place in the third round of the Women’s FA Cup.

Luck was certainly against the Magpies as they struck the woodwork four times - twice in each half - and led at the break thanks to a fine strike from Grace Vella.

Chorley fielded the same team that won at The New Saints in the previous round and got off to a fine start, taking the lead after just nine minutes.

Playing out from the back and building momentum, it was eye-catching stuff from Chorley whose passing game undid Brighouse with less than 10 minutes gone when Beth Donoghue made one of her trademark runs down the left and found Vella with a great pull back - the midfielder picked her spot and rifled the ball home.

But the goal served to fire up Brighouse into scrapping harder and they started to win the midfield battle and, with it, the chances started coming.

They started to find space down the right-hand side with their ball over the top became their principle weapon.

But Chorley could well have gone in at the break three up as they struck the bar twice before half time.

The second half started with both teams being denied time to find space and neither side were able to string enough passes to set up any real chances, until Brighouse got their equaliser in the 58th minute with a goal from Hannah Freibach.

Chorley hit the bar again and had a clearance off the line as luck continued to evade them and the regulation 90 minutes finished all square.

Despite hitting the bar for a fourth time in the game and a double save from the Brighouse keeper, it was the visitors who managed to grab the extra time winner through Chloe Wild to seal a 2-1 victory.

Chorley’s next game is at home to Sunderland in the second round of the FAWNL League Cup.

Chorley: Darbyshire, Fenton, Brindle, Searson, Topping, Kemp, Vella, Donoghue, Rotherham, Worth, Walker (c). Sub: Wood (68), Mills (79), Rawcliffe (105)