LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

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LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

Cup upsets and champion coronations were both on the agenda for LCFC Women during the final month of the 2020/21 season.

2021-07-05T15:57:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

05 Jul, 2021

LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

Cup upsets and champion coronations were both on the agenda for LCFC Women during the final month of the 2020/21 season.

Sam Jones

2021-07-05T15:57:00.000Z

LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

Cup upsets and champion coronations were both on the agenda for LCFC Women during the final month of the 2020/21 season.

Sam Jones

2021-07-05T15:57:00.000Z

LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

Cup upsets and champion coronations were both on the agenda for LCFC Women during the final month of the 2020/21 season.

Sam Jones

2021-07-05T15:57:00.000Z

LCFC Women’s 2020/21 Review: May

Cup upsets and champion coronations were both on the agenda for LCFC Women during the final month of the 2020/21 season.

Sam Jones

2021-07-05T15:57:00.000Z

One league fixture remained in May and it would be played on Filbert Way as LCFC Women made their debut at the stadium, against Charlton Athletic. Although behind closed doors, it was still a momentous occasion for all involved.

Determined to end the campaign on a high, City raced into a three-goal lead at the break. The Foxes’ top goalscorer Natasha Flint got the ball rolling with her 17th league strike and 21st across all competitions.

Charlie Devlin’s trickery saw her glide past two defenders before finding the forward in the middle and she managed to get in front of her marker and flick the ball in off the post to hand the hosts a perfect start.

Former Addicks midfielder Devlin soon had her second assist of the afternoon, setting up Hannah Cain, who clinically dispatched the ball over Charlton ‘keeper Eartha Cumings after Lachante Paul had carried it forward into a dangerous area.

A beautifully crafted third arrived six minutes ahead of the interval. A powerful run from ex-Everton forward Cain got her into a shooting position, but she opted to spray the ball out to Paul, who crossed it back in for the striker to head home and grab her second of the game.

Fewer goalscoring opportunities presented themselves in the second half, but there was still time for a fourth goal with five minutes to play. Substitute Shannon O’Brien combined with Remi Allen, who slipped in Flint and City’s No.20 opted to try and set up Liv Fergusson.

The visitors’ Shauna Vassell cut out the pass but in turn bundled the ball into the back of her own net, rounding off the scoring and a comfortable home win for the champions. The clean sheet also gave Kirstie Levell a share of the Golden Glove, keeping 10 shutouts across the league season.

Then it was time for the trophy presentation as all the players collected their medals before gathering to lift the FA Women’s Championship trophy after Club Ambassador and Leicester City legend Emile Heskey brought the silverware out onto the King Power Stadium pitch.

Champagne was sprayed and pyrotechnics were set off as LCFC Women, officially crowned as champions, celebrated the greatest season in the Club’s history. Now there was just one final game to go before the curtain came down on 2020/21.

It would be one of the biggest challenges of the season as City travelled north to face Barclays FA Women’s Super League outfit Manchester United in the fifth round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup at Leigh Sports Village.

Leicester were clear underdogs and went into the contest with little fear and plenty of confidence after recent league results, as well as defeating Liverpool in the previous round of the competition.

But it was United, fresh from finishing fourth in the top-flight under Casey Stoney, who took the lead. Leah Galton drove forward, fed Jess Sigsworth, and she did the rest, moving past Sophie Howard’s challenge before hammering the ball into the net from close range on the half-hour mark.

A fantastic Leicester move drew the away side level. Allen and Flint were both heavily involved in the free-flowing build-up, before the former found O’Brien on the edge of the box and she somehow created space for a shot, which arrowed into the bottom corner and was perfectly timed just before the break.

Another United goal had them back ahead, this time from Jane Ross as she cut inside and took aim, only for the ball to deflect off Allen and squeeze past Levell at the near post.

But again the Foxes showed their powers of recovery. A move which looked to have broken down, when Howard’s pass was cut out by Maria Thorisdóttir, was re-ignited as Cain nipped in to intercept the Norwegian defender’s back pass and poke the ball beyond Mary Earps to square things up at 2-2.

It was game on again and City were now in the ascendency. Incredibly, they scored again straight from kick-off. This time Cain took the assist as she intercepted and swept a first-time aerial ball for Flint to chase.

She outmuscled Millie Turner and then bamboozled the defender to create an opening, finding the far corner with a fierce effort that completely turned the game on its head. Levell then had to be on top form to keep the hosts out in the closing stages, which she did to help Leicester record a famous victory.

The reward for the triumph is a trip to face FA Cup holders Manchester City in the quarter-final for the second season running. The tie will be played on Wednesday 29 September, meaning there is plenty to look forward to in the early months of the season, not least the beginning of LCFC Women’s WSL journey.

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