By Jeff Burnige at St Paul’s
With Millwall Lionesses’ league visit to Enfield Town postponed until May 12 due to Enfield’s fixture congestion, attention turned to the highly successful under-18 side, coached by Ted Jones and Lee Williams, last weekend.
They were in the first of two knockout semi-finals they have reached this season, this one being in the Junior Premier League Warriors League Cup.
Sadly they eventually went down 5-4 on penalties at St Paul’s Sports Ground after a 1-1 draw with their highly-rated rivals Ascot United.
Midfielder Grant Ntabaraga had equalised for the Lionesses on 70 minutes, and this goal changed the game, which until then Ascot had looked likely winners. They had led from the 25th minute, but after the equaliser Millwall pressed for a winner, while the defence, led by goalkeeper Wiktoria Gmiterek and faultless centre-backs Mollie Selfe and Billie Burgess, did not look like conceding again, especially when Ascot were reduced to ten players.
Without top-scorer Quiana Dillon-Bent, injured in training on Wednesday, and fellow striker Clemmie Young, Maya Bethelme battled away up front against the strong Ascot defence. But it was defender Ruby Dythe who came closest to a winner with a powerful header narrowly over the bar.
Losing a semi-final on penalties is a blow and an opportunity missed, but they now face two big games, the first at home to Crystal Palace in the JPL Warriors League, and then the following Sunday away to South London Laces in the Capital Women’s Cup Junior Section.
This is the trophy they are defending after last season’s memorable final victory against Brentford. The Laces are captained and run by Emily Hill, familiar from her stint as an academy coach with the Lionesses some years ago.
The Lionesses senior team face their own big game when they return to Princes Park, Dartford, this Sunday at 2pm, the scene of their dramatic last-minute defeat by the Darts in the League Cup a month ago.
Dartford have since reached the League Cup final and continue to top the L&SERWFL Premier Division table, so this will be another stiff test for joint-managers Alex Russell and Adam Rowland and their inconsistent team.