Fran
Kirby scored a last-gasp winner in extra time as holders Chelsea beat
Manchester City Women 2-1, booking their place in next month’s SSE Women’s
FA Cup final at Wembley.
A tight first half saw the game locked at 0-0 at the interval and it was the
visitors - who lost to 1-0 to Chelsea in the semi-final last year - that
struck first, with in-form Scotland international Jane Ross scoring from
close-range.
League leaders City looked on course for victory until a perfectly executed
free-kick from Ji So-Yun five minutes from the end sent the game into extra
time.
And in the final minute of extra-time, with penalties looming, England
international Kirby rifled past City stopper Karen Bardsley as Chelsea
extended their unbeaten run in the competition.
Chelsea will face Arsenal at Wembley after Danielle van de Donk's hat-trick
helped the 13-time winners crush Sunderland Ladies 7-0 in the other
semi-final.
The Gunners were reduced to 10 women when Emma Mitchell was sent off after
33 minutes but they went into the interval a goal up after Van de Donk
scrambled home a 39th minute opener.
Player of the Match Dan Carter scored with a point-blank strike 10 minutes
after the restart, before Sunderland's Abby Holmes was sent off after
fouling van de Donk in the box. England international Fara Williams
converted the resulting spot-kick to make it 3-0 to the hosts.
Van de Donk scored either side of a Jordan Nobbs goal as the hosts made it
6-0, before Carter scored her second in added time as Arsenal reached the
final in style.
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