Oxford United Women were knocked out of the National League Cup at Billericay Town in the cruellest fashion on Sunday, losing a penalty shoot-out after the game finished in a 3-3 draw.
Ruby Sealey gave United an early lead but they were pegged back by a penalty converted by Ella Houghton just before the hour. Ten minutes later, Zoe Barratt smashed home a free kick, but Brea Grant levelled the scores again. Houghton gave Billericay the lead in the second half of extra time, but Sarah King's goal took the game to penalties, with the hosts winning the shoot-out 4-2.
The game was just five minutes old when Sealey worked the ball through the Billericay defence to slot home the opener and the U's looked the most likely to score another, with Jenna Legg's shot going just over and Cecily Wellesley-Smith firing a loose ball against the post. Two minutes before the break, Vita Budaieva's shot from outside the area was tipped over the bar by keeper Katie O'Hanlan.
The second half was 13 minutes old when the home side equalised. They were awarded a penalty for handball and Houghton converted the spot kick. Half-time substitute Barratt then won a free kick just outside the Billericay area and smashed home the set piece to restore United's lead.
Grant equalised after cutting inside and beating Paris Sercombe from inside the area and only a great save by O'Hanlan in the eighth minute of stoppage time prevented the U's from progressing into the second round.
Billericay came close to taking the lead in the first half of extra time, prevented only by a fantastic double save from Sercombe, first denying Grant and then Kara Fordjour's follow-up effort. However, parity lasted until the 111th minute, when Houghton gave the home side the lead for the first time, converting from Maddie Biggs' cut back.
That looked to be enough for the home side but with just two minutes remaining, Jenna Legg squared the ball to King who fired home the equaliser to take the game to penalties.
Sercombe saved Billericay's first attempt but United were unable to capitalise as Jaime Gotch hit the bar with her penalty. Billericay took the lead with their second effort, equalised by Leah Burridge. The home side again scored, with Barratt bringing it back to 2-2. Billericay scored their third, but Nic Gibson hit the bar before Ylenia Priest converted to send Billericay through.
After the game, U's manager Sam Rose said, "It was a decent performance and we created a lot of opportunities to score more than the three goals, but we haven't and it's cost us.
"I don't want to be negative because we made a few changes today and it was about giving players who haven't started the opportunity to start, but look at how the game played out. We went in front, got pegged back, went in front again, got pegged back. They've nicked a goal in the second half of extra time, we've dug in, played some good football and got ourselves back on level terms.
"I just think that on the balance of the game, with the chances we've created, it should have played out quite differently to what it did."
UNITED: Sercombe, Gibson, Wellesley-Smith (Trinder 85), Legg, Poole (Barratt 46), Sealey (King 61), Lindbaek (Burridge 85), Richardson (Wiseman 85), Gotch, Oliver, Budaieva
Unused subs: Howard
