Derby County Women were knocked out of the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday at the Second Round stage as Burnley scored with the last kick of the game to claim a 3-2 success.
A spirited second-half display from Derby had the score at 2-2 going into injury time but Burnley’s Evie Priestley found the net at the death.
Second-half goals from Becky McGrother and Jess Camwell cancelled out goals from Sarah Greenhalgh and Amaya Coleman-Evans, before Priestley found a late winner.
The hosts could have opened the scoring inside five minutes when Camille Jenkins picked out Marli Rhodes-Andrews in acres of space, but Andrews’ effort was a tame one.
Andrews’ good opportunity to open the scoring was not a sign of things to come as Burnley enjoyed more of the ball in what was a quiet first half of football.
That was until Sarah Greenhalgh’s looping effort made its way over Sarah Morgan in the Derby goal, putting the away side in front on the stroke of half-time.
Derby came out a more convincing outfit after the half-time break, with the impressive Keira Barry drilling a low effort just wide of a post.
Although showing signs of real promise it was the hosts final ball that was letting them down when in the final third.
An injury to the faultless Megan Clarkson gave manager Sam Griffiths the opportunity to freshen things up some more, just before the hour mark.
It did not take long for the substitutes to make their mark either as Camwell played through McGrother who fired it past Lauren Bracewell and into the roof of the Burnley net.
The game was level for all of three minutes as Amaya Coleman-Evans put the away side back into the lead on the 69thminute.
Coleman-Evans had beaten Sarah Morgan to a low cross and made just enough of a connection to see her attempt on goal trickle over the line.
Burnley’s second of the afternoon did not dampen Derby spirits on a wet, cold Sunday afternoon at Mickleover FC, and the introduction of Camwell certainly heated things up.
Captain, Amy Sims played a neat one-two passing move with the substitute but the skipper’s effort was right down the goalkeeper’s throat.
Derby did level things up once more with ten minutes to go as super substitute Camwell made it 2-2 and the home team looked the likelier to grab a winner.
Camille Jenkins could have topped off her fine performance with a goal, but her fizzing effort was saved.
Sims, and all of a Derby allegiance, thought her venomous strike had hit the crossbar and crossed the line before Bracewell denied Camwell from the rebound.
There was no doubt Priestley’s goal had crossed the line however, as she rounded the goalkeeper and coolly slotted home with the last kick of the game to send Derby out of the cup.
It was not how the Ewes Rams would have wanted to end 2022 but plenty of positive passages of play to build on come 2023.
