Late header delivers knock-out blow to MK Dons Women in League Cup

An Emma Jones goal 15 minutes from time delivered a knock-out blow to MK Dons Women as they went out of the FAWNL League Cup to Portsmouth on Sunday.

Charlie Bill’s side had a 100 per cent record through October, with league wins over Hashtag United, Rugby Borough and Cardiff City, but Pompey ended that run at Fairfield Sports Hub.

Both sides came into the game on a six-match unbeaten run in the FAWNL National League, and are fighting it out at the sharp end of the table.

Dons started the match brightly and looked the better of the two sides, though chances at both ends came at a premium with neither keeper really tested much throughout the course of the game.

The best chances came right at the end of the first-half when Nicola Puddick ran half the length of the pitch before firing narrowly wide for Dons. For Portsmouth, a Beth Lumsden corner was then cleared only as far as Emily Pitman at the other end of the pitch, but her volley was held by Chloe Sansom.

The Blues then came out the blocks quickly, with their sights set on a quarter final spot. Dons keeper Sansom was called upon multiple times to spurn the efforts of the opposition. Sansom did well to collect a dangerous delivery from Jones, with Pitman waiting to pounce at the back post.

And the keeper did even better just before the hour mark, managing to prevent Ella Wild’s effort from finding the top corner.Pressure was starting to be applied, although Pitman could not quite connect with Beth Lumsden’s drilled ball across the face of goal.

But there was only so much the captain could do in her efforts to prevent Portsmouth from opening the scoring with 15 minutes to go when Jones got on the end of Nicole Barrett’s cross to nod in the only goal of the game.