Rachel Williams came off the bench to score a late winner for Manchester United to send them to their first Women’s FA Cup final at Brighton’s expense.
The veteran striker kept her cool to stop the game going to extra time with a minute of the 90 to go. United had dominated the fixture but gifted two goals to the visitors to make it into a dramatic cup tie but in the end the hosts had just enough to get through.
Considering Manchester United defeated the same opponents 4-0 a fortnight ago in their final match before the international break, the hosts knew they had the upper hand. United are top of the Women’s Super League and Brighton bottom, but the Seagulls have a new manager in Melissa Phillips and caused early problems on either flank without being able to pick out a target in the box.
Two-thirds of the ground was open to fans and the lines meant for rugby league matches were visible on the pitch. It did not scream out that this was the semi-final in a major competition. Old Trafford was unable to host the event because of the Manchester marathon taking place on Sunday, leaving Leigh to do the honours with neutral venues not used.
Despite their gulf in league positions, United were unable to control the game in its early stages, playing a number of passes straight to the Brighton midfield. Ella Toone had a chance inside the box but sent the ball high and into the vacant stand behind the visitors’ goal.
Lydia Williams was the first goalkeeper to be called into action after 27 minutes when Alessia Russo reacted quickest to whack a bouncing ball inside the box at goal, only to see her shot expertly tipped over the bar. It was at this stage that United were beginning to get on top, tiring Brighton through their domination of possession and the danger offered in the final third from Lucía García and Russo, especially.
Lydia Williams was being kept busy by United, while four pigeons were feasting on the penalty spot in Mary Earps’s area, a sign of where the action was taking place. The pigeons and Seagulls did eventually take flight.
The opener arrived against the run of play when Veatriki Sarri outsmarted Ona Batlle on the wing, drove into the box and put in a cross that Earps stuck out a hand to stop, but instead the ball cannoned off her left wrist and into the net for an own goal to almost silence the ground.
Within a minute of the restart parity was restored. United looked recharged and Batlle, desperate to make up for her part in the Brighton goal, stormed down the right flank past a litany of light blue shirts, before pinging a cross to Leah Galton to turn home from six yards out.
Galton’s fine work almost produced a second immediately after when she dispossessed centre-back Zoe Morse, before dribbling into the box and chipping to the back post from where Toone volleyed inches over the bar. If United were lacklustre in the first 45 minutes, they made up for it in the second half. It was a familiar feeling for Brighton as Galton scored twice when the teams last met.
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Brighton were restricted to rare counters as their players tired, something Phillips recognised with a triple change before the hour mark to freshen things up. One attack, however, almost brought an equaliser when Julia Zigiotti Olme struck a rising drive from 20 yards, allowing Earps to make amends for her earlier error with a fantastic diving save to flick the ball over the bar.
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It was a lapse that gave United the lead. Morse gave the ball straight to Katie Zelem, she strode through midfield and slipped a pass to Russo, who took a touch and powerfully struck the ball into the roof of the net to leave Lydia Williams without a chance.
United, however, had their own defensive failings soon after when Millie Turner failed to clear a through ball, letting it bounce off her thigh and toe when facing her own net, allowing substitute Danielle Carter to take control and slide past Earps. But Manchester United’s own replacement Rachel Williams would break Brighton’s hearts.
