FA Women’s Premier League Cup final: Tottenham Hotspur 0 Charlton Athletic 0 (4-3 on penalties)

Three is the magic number for Tottenham Hotspur Ladies after a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph in the final of the FA Women’s Premier League Cup over rivals Charlton Athletic.

The Lilywhites couldn’t make the breakthrough in 120 minutes of football at Broadhall Way, but eventually claimed success 4-3 on penalties.

After three minutes, Wendy Martin played across to Ronnell Humes just inside the area, whose strike across goal was cleared off the line by Grace Coombs.

Athletic’s Kit Graham looked for a response and forced Toni-Anne Wayne to tip away her free-kick and even though Avilla Bergin sent the rebound back towards goal, she was denied on the line by Lucia Leon.

Jenna Schillaci’s in-swinging free-kick was then punched towards Humes, but her lob went over before Leah Rawle exchanged passes with Bianca Baptiste, though her strike hit the side-netting.

Bergin countered soon after, dinking through to Charlton’s Graham, but Wayne was quick off her line to boot clear.

Tottenham responded, as Martin flicked-on Schillaci’s deep pass for Baptiste to latch on, though she placed her shot inches wide across goal.

Rawle lobbed into Maya Vio soon after, and her delightful first-time swerve found Baptiste to curl inches wide.

The pressure continued, as Sophie Mclean burst to the edge only for Rosey Sullivan to turn her strike past the post.

Humes then controlled with patience out right and floated her cross towards Martin, only for Coombs to clear off the line.

Carbon-copy momentum followed the restart. Baptiste played Mclean through who crossed to Humes, but her effort was tipped away on the stretch at the near-post.

Baptiste recycled with Leon minutes later and crossed in towards Martin, but she saw Daisy Monaghan clear off the line.

Josie Green was next to try her luck when she shimmied through the middle before she saw her 25-yard effort patted down by Alex Baker.

Graham countered for Athletic afterwards and found Kim Dixon, who looked for Bergin six-yards out, but Renee Hector recovered.

Green then sprayed delightfully out to Humes, whose cross was taken off the head of Martin by Baker before Leon slid Baptiste away and she forced Coombs to guide inadvertently onto her own post.

Mclean popped into Baptiste, coming in off the right, moments later who curled just wide of the top right corner.

Green set-up Vio soon after, but her strike was blocked and fell into the path of Leon, who blazed over.

Mclean’s piledriver evaded the upright moments later, and Vio then rolled to Baptiste and her cross was flicked-on by Nikita Whinnett towards Martin, but she volleyed over.

Schillaci’s corner was headed over by Hector in injury time and Baptiste crashed a shot off the inside of the post meeting Whinnett’s overhead lay-off in extra-time and the same player then struck towards the near-post forcing Baker to save.

Hector headed over from Schillaci’s corner, who then zipped her free-kick inches past the post with the last kick off the game.

In the shoot-out. Hector struck first before Wayne’s stop from Dixon and Mclean converted for a 2-0 lead for Spurs before Ruby Southgate replied.

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Baker denied Martin with the next kick and Graham made it 2-2 to add to the tension inside the Hertfordshire venue.

Eartha Pond made it 3-2 for Tottenham, but Charlotte Lee replied to make it 3-3 and virtually set up a sudden death scenario.

Katie O’Leary kept her part of the bargain for Spurs by emphatically ending her eight-and-a-half-months of an injury-hit season with a fine penalty to put the Lilywhites 4-3 up.

Coombs needed to score to send Charlton into sudden death, but she was denied by an inspired Wayne to complete the treble for Tottenham.

Tottenham: Toni-Anne Wayne, Lucia Leon, Jenna Schillaci (c), Renee Hector, Leah Rawle (Katie O’Leary 90), Josie Green (Eartha Pond 100), Sophie Mclean, Maya Vio, Wendy Martin, Ronnell Humes (Nikita Whinnett 70), Bianca Baptiste. Substitutes (not used): Shannon Moloney, Kelley Blanchflower.