Chesterfield ​Ladies exit League Cup at quarter-final stage despite late goals

Mike Noon’s side exited the competition with their heads held high though following a gutsy and spirited effort which saw eight changes made from the previous game and a host of U18 players making senior debuts, with the knowledge that two hugely important league games are coming up soon in the race for the title.

Goals in the last five minutes of the match from Louisa Anderson and teenage debutant Freya Holman set up a grandstand finale and almost resulted in an astonishing comeback to take the cup tie into extra-time.

The hosts were certainly the better side in the first half and scored two goals inside the opening 20 minutes to take firm control of the match.

Striker Natasha Leach took advantage of some hesitant defending to power the ball home from close range to give Arnold the lead after 16 minutes played.

The hosts then doubled their advantage just four minutes later when Leach’s 12 yard effort beat goalkeeper Louise Apperley at her near post.

It didn’t take the hosts long to score a third goal after the interval. It took just 90 seconds from the re-start for Leach to smash the ball home confidently and secure her hat-trick.

As the second half progressed, the Blues side really began to click and started to threaten more in the final third. Substitute Annie Davidson saw a long-range effort loop onto the roof of the net in the 54th minute while centre-half Anderson saw a 12 yard header agonisingly roll just wide of the post nine minutes later.

With five minutes remaining, full-back Lily Naylor almost capped off a very encouraging Blues debut when her 12 yard shot was expertly tipped around the post by the Arnold goalkeeper.

Chesterfield finally scored a well deserved goal in the 87th minute when an unmarked Anderson headed home from an excellent corner to secure her second goal of the season.

Substitute Holman was then allowed time and space at the start of stoppage time to fire an effort on target inside the penalty area and she slotted the ball superbly past the keeper to make it 3-2.

Despite throwing everything at Arnold in the last couple of minutes, time ran out and Chesterfield were out of the competition.