By Jeff Burnige at Princes Park
Millwall Lionesses conceded in stoppage-time as they lost 3-2 to L&SERWFL Premier Division leaders Dartford at Princes Park last Sunday – in an exact repeat of their controversial defeat in the League Cup in January.
The match was supposed to be played on the stadium pitch, but was switched to the sodden but playable 4G pitch outside when the main pitch was waterlogged.
There is always a charged atmosphere when these teams meet, and this can be an intimidating place to play. The Lionesses have had some wretched luck there in recent times, and they had some more on this visit. They had lost three important players to injury by the interval, the first being right-back Hope Welsh, who was replaced by Grace Seely.
Dartford made it 1-0 on 25 minutes through Amelie Woodgate.
Then on 43 minutes, Millwall centre-forward Liv McGregor landed awkwardly after an aerial challenge. Before Chloe Francis had time to push up from midfield to replace her up front, she also had to come off when her shin ballooned up just below the knee after an earlier challenge.
Millwall started the second half with seventeen-year-old Melissa Jones at right-back and Sharna Giordani centre-forward.
The visiting crowd could have been forgiven for thinking their side would struggle to cope with these misfortunes, but they came out to attack the Darts, and Shannan Drewe had one effort over the bar and then another well-saved by Jade Charlton.
On 51 minutes, it was another seventeen-year-old in Emel Huseyin who equalised for the Lionesses, and finally Drewe scored in the 66th minute with a left-foot cracker into the far corner to put the Lionesses ahead.
Dartford dominated from then on, bringing on fresh legs, but it took a highly disputed free-kick, brilliantly converted by ex-Lioness Jo Woodgates to bring the scores level.
It looked like Millwall goalkeeper Chrissie Wiggins would keep the Darts out, but in stoppage-time there was more heartbreak for Millwall when Emily Vaughan scored the winner.
The Lionesses now look forward to a visit to Ebbsfleet Unites on Sunday, March 24 and then a game under lights at Enfield Town’s Queen Elizabeth II Stadium on Tuesday, April 2.
This Sunday, the under-18 side travel to play South London Laces’ senior team in the semi-final of the Capital Women’s Cup Junior Section, the trophy they won last season.
