Kentish Football 
Charlton Athletic 1-1 Millwall Lionesses (5-4 pens) - Kiobel's boss denies Millwall Cup glory
Thursday 21st April 2011
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1-1 MILLWALL LIONESSES
(after extra time - Charlton Athletic win 5-4 on penalties)
Kent Women’s Cup Final
Thursday 21st April 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Greatness Park
CHARLTON ATHLETIC resumed their dominance of the Women’s game here in Kent - but they needed penalties to defeat a Millwall side that couldn’t start their most talented player due to a boss who didn’t allow their employee to get to Greatness Park in time.
Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Sarah Smith, 17, gifted Millwall the opening goal within seven minutes after half-time when Kasia Viggor converted, but the keeper redeemed herself by making a string of fine saves as the Lionesses pressed for a deserved winner - with the late arriving Angela Kiobel causing Charlton’s defence problems with her pace and power - but Charlton Athletic grabbed a late equaliser through Sam Rowland’s penalty to force extra time.
Watched by a crowd of 270 on a mild night in Sevenoaks, the game only came to life following Charlton’s 81st minute leveller, but despite pressing, Millwall couldn’t beat the teenage keeper a second time, so the game was settled by a penalty shoot out.
Millwall striker Jasmine Auguste skied the ninth penalty and when Rowland converted her second penalty of the night, Charlton Athletic celebrated their sixth Kent Cup Final success in the last eleven years, the last one arriving two years ago.
Charlton Athletic legend, Paul Mortimer, requested that their goalkeeper coach was interviewed after the game, and Mark Crawley said, “We’ve only just come in, the other coaches that we’re looking after the team are no longer here, so we’ve come in. Paul asked us to do a favour for the final, which is what we’ve done so we had no real input.
“The girls’ have got through that because of their attitude and work. It weren’t our best game but it’s their heart and their desire and their work-rate that got them through.”
Millwall Lionesses manager, Dan Mlinar, 22, added, “It’s unfortunate because we deserved to win it but unfortunately we haven’t but the way they applied themselves, their effort, some of their general play was fantastic and I’m really proud of them.”
The first half was played at a slow pace, but all the players were technically gifted as they played the game the right way, and only 19 fouls were committed during the entire 120 minutes, which isn’t normal for a local derby.
Chelmsford based Mlinar said, “First half was a bit cagey, neither side really played their best stuff but it was competitive and we knew that at half-time. We knew we had to change it, get the ball down and play it better.
“After playing so well from the second half onwards, we created some really good chances. We just couldn’t get the final one in the net unfortunately.”
Rowland was in the thick of the action as Charlton Athletic created the game’s first chance after just 71 seconds.
Rachel Ahern guided the ball into the striker’s feet and her right-footed drive from 20-yards was caught low beside her near post by Debbie Cole.
The Millwall keeper made a comfortable save to prevent Louise Duffy curling a delicate free-kick into the corner from 25-yards.
Millwall’s first chance came from a free-kick in the 15th minute, but right-sided midfielder Shauni Griffiths clipped a right-footed effort from 35-yards high over the crossbar.
Dominant Charlton’s finishing when well placed was poor and a move involving skipper Katie Hardaker and Duffy set up another decent chance for Rowland, who rolled a right-footed shot into Cole’s gloves.
Although Rowland impressed, her strike partner, Mary Onianwa, didn’t seem to be on the save wavelength and the number 10 squandered a good chance in the 24th minute.
Left-back Toni Alden played an excellent ball with the outside of her boot to release Onianwa down the channel and after cutting inside Ria Popovic she stabbed a shot past the near post from a tight angle from eight-yards.
However, Millwall’s best chance arrived eleven minutes later.
Griffiths released Viggor down the right flank and she delivered an excellent cross with her right boot to pick out the unmarked Tish Charles at the far post, but her downward header was well blocked by Smith’s legs.
Cole made a routine save to deny Charlton central midfielder Ahern scoring with a right-footed half-volley from 25-yards, as both sides cancelled each other out during a pedestrian first half.
Crawley added, “I think the game, apart from extra time, most of the game it was us. It was mainly us on the front foot and we were causing ourselves a few issues where we were panicking and not trying to play football.
“But it was a tough old game and Millwall came out and they worked hard.”
A good attacking move saw Charlton create the first chance of the second half, which the unmarked Katie Shepperd didn’t take.
Duffy released Ahern down the right channel and she whipped in a good cross across the face of goal which found it’s way to the unmarked Shepperd, who screwed her shot wide.
Good link up play by Millwall’s Viggor and Charles wasn’t despatched by an off-balance Charles, who pounced on the ball following a mistake by Charlton defender Abbi Igbavboa.
But it was Millwall that drew first blood, capitalising on a blunder from Smith to take the lead.
Smith (who asked Claire Goldsmith to take on goal kicking duties afterwards) struck a poor goal-kick, which went straight to Millwall striker Viggor, who brought the ball under control and slammed a low right-footed drive into the corner of the net.
Smith’s coach, Crawley, refused to blame here for her mistake, adding, “these things happen!”
Mlinar praised striker Viggor for tucking home the chance, saying, “Kasia is good at that. She sees danger, snuffs it out and a good finish and all from outside the box. You still have to finish it off, haven’t you?”
Charlton’s response was almost immediate and following Onianwa’s lay-off, Rowland drilled a low right-footed shot which was again too comfortable for Cole.
But the 64th minute introduction of the delayed Kiobel clearly inspired Millwall, and this lifted the tempo of the game as Millwall looked a real threat going forward.
Another poor kick from Smith dropped to Griffiths, who teed up Kiobel, who struck a left-footed shot sailing wide from 30-yards.
But just as though it looked like Millwall would hang on, referee Alan Crinean pointed to the spot as Charlton levelled with nine minutes of normal time remaining.
Substitute Kallie Balfour played a fine low pass to release Rowland through on goal, who after stabbing the ball past the advancing goalkeeper, was brought down by Cole, who was relieved to see Frankie Strugnell behind her to clear the rolling ball off the line.
But play was brought back by the Sheerness based referee, so a penalty was awarded, and Cole was somewhat lucky not to pick up at least a yellow card.
But Rowland ensured justice was done and left Cole rooted to the spot as she clinically drilled a right-footed penalty into the right-hand corner.
Expressing his views on the incident, Crawley said, “I would have preferred it if the ball went straight in - but it was a blatant penalty. It’s just a case what may have happened after that from the referee’s point of view but at the end of the day, what happens, happens.”
Mlinar added, “Because we had the girl on the line to cover it off because if didn’t go in because he (the referee) gave the advantage to see if it went in. It probably saved the red (card) but I think it’s no qualms, it’s definitely a penalty.”
Despite that set-back, Millwall went for the kill and were unlucky not to snatch victory.
Kiobel whipped in a cross from the right, which was headed out by a Charlton head and Rackham took a touch but cracked a right-footed over from the edge of the box.
Millwall went agonisingly close when Kiobel’s pass was flicked by Viggor, which released Griffiths hurtling down the right and after taking a touch, she cracked a left-footed drive on the angle, which agonisingly screamed past the far post.
Kiobel’s pace and power almost won it for Millwall when she was released through the heart of the Charlton defence, but Smith advanced off her line (in a one-to-one dual) and made another fine brave block.
Charlton’s last chance in normal time almost won them the game when a slick move involving Rowland, and two substitutes Balfour and Alana Garratt, resulted in Balfour’s left-footed drive flashing agonisingly wide of the far post.
The Lionesses players were down on their feet during the interval, whilst Charlton’s body language put them favourites to go on to win the silverware.
But too their credit, Millwall looked the more likely team to score during the first period of extra time, but they found the promising Smith in fine form yet again.
Viggor was put through on goal in another one-on-one dual inside the opening four minutes, but the goalkeeper came out and smothered the ball at the striker’s feet.
Charlton’s Balfour had two bites of the cherry, when her initial shot was blocked by a defender’s leg, before drilling a low right-footed shot, which forced the Millwall keeper into making a low save at her near post.
Millwall were to rue an excellent chance when Griffiths and Kiobel combined to release Viggor through on goal and her right-footed drive was hit straight at Smith.
The second period didn’t produce a winner, although Smith made comfortable saves as Viggor and Rackham went for goal, so the game was decided by a penalty shoot out.
Millwall’s Kiobel was the first player to go and Smith got a hand to the shot, but she couldn’t prevent the ball finding the left corner - before Charlton converted their first spot kick when Duffy sent Cole the wrong way.
Millwall kept their composure when Griffiths’ right-footed attempt nestled into the bottom left-hand corner - before substitute Garratt smashed a right-footed penalty into the roof of the net.
Then it was the turn of two full-backs to make the score level at three-each after six penalties.
Millwall left-back Strugnell smashed her left-footed penalty into the roof of the net, and Charlton’s number 2, Ellie Manning sent the ball over the diving keeper.
But Millwall’s chances of repeating their 2008 success ended when Auguste lost her cool and sent her left-footed penalty ballooning high over the crossbar and into the night sky and Charlton never looked back when left-back Alden sent her spot kick straight down the middle of the net, despite Cole getting a hand to the ball.
Smith dived to her right and got her hand to Viggor’s penalty but couldn‘t keep it out - but Rowland held her nerve when she completed a great night for her and her team-mates when she converted the tenth penalty, leaving Cole rooted to the spot.
Although she didn’t save a penalty in the shoot-out, Smith was the player that won the Cup for Charlton Athletic and Crawley was full of praise for his match winner.
“She maybe (made a mistake) for the goal, but at least on three or four occasions she made up for that but she’s only a young girl,” he said. “This is her first year in senior football so to play in a final; like that and bounce back from a mistake was (good).”
Crawley explained that Charlton Athletic allow their players to progress through the ranks.
“Sam Rowland falls into the same category as a lot of them,” he said.
“You see in the first team and the reserves we have girls that have come through the whole system and the centre of excellence which proves as a club it’s about bringing the players through and the players come through are worthy of a place in the reserves and the first team.
“As a club it’s all about bringing the players through and every player, if they’re good enough and they show the right attitude will get a chance to prove themselves.”
But Mlinar believes Millwall would have clinched the trophy had Kiobel’s (who was originally listed on the team sheet at number 11) employers let her off work early.
“She was starting but work didn’t let her out in time,” bemoaned Mlinar.
“She couldn’t get here until a quarter-past-seven (the game kicked off at half-past-seven). She was all out and the boss (at Lewisham Football in the Community) went ’no you can’t come’”.
“The team we ended with was the team we wanted to start with unfortunately and that probably shows. We brought here on and the ball stuck more, we got more combinations, our attacking football was really good, especially in the second half onwards.”
When asked whether the striker would have won them the game had she started, Mlinar replied, “Yes, I think we would’ve created more, yes. I don’t think you’ll never know but when we made the change and we did bring here on I think we went from strength to strength and we were the better side through extra time if I’m honest.”
Mlinar refused to blame Auguste for her penalty miss, saying he missed one in a Cup Final whilst playing for Tiptree United against Braintree Town.
“It’s unfortunate because she’s been absolutely fantastic for us all year, she really is,” said Mlinar.
“When we’re not playing well Jas drives them on and she’s done it all year.
“We’ve all missed penalties in finals, I know I have. No-one blames her. I was playing for Tiptree in a Cup Final and missed against Braintree. I hit it further over than Jas as well, which was a bit embarrassing, but never mind.”
Mlinar admitted the Charlton Athletic keeper redeemed herself after gifting Millwall the lead.
He said: “I think the Charlton keeper’s excellent. I think she made three really good one-on-one saves. There was a couple of others where we should’ve probably tested her a bit more but I think their goalkeeper done really well. She redeemed herself because she did gift us the first half if I’m honest.”
Charlton Athletic: Sarah Smith, Ellie Manning, Toni Alden, Katie Hardaker, Abbi Igbavboa, Rachel Ahern, Louise Duffy, Katie Shepperd (Alana Garratt 72), Sam Rowland, Mary Onianwa (Kallie Balfour 58), Claire Goldsmith.
Subs: Shakira Day, Megan Lynch, Chloe Pettit.
Goal: Sam Rowland 81 (pen)
Booked: Ellie Manning 52, Abbi Igbavboa 111
Millwall Lionesses: Debbie Cole, Grace Seeley, Frankie Strugnell, Demi Brown, Ria Popovic (Naomi Wass 91), Eve Gillroy, Shauni Griffiths, Sophie Rackham, Jasmine Auguste, Kasia Viggor, Tish Charles (Angela Kiobel 64).
Subs: Dionne Lennan, Katie Wyatt, Yelliz Ibrahim
Goal: Kasia Viggor 52
Attendance: 270
Referee: Mr Alan Crinean (Sheerness)
Assistants: Mr Martin Bullock (Dartford) & Mr Geoffrey Moody (Newington)
Fourth Official: Mr Colin Ward (Chatham)
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