Manchester United Women have made history by reaching their first ever Women’s FA Cup final after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion Women.
The Red Devils had to come from behind twice to secure the win, with goals from Ella Toone, Kirsty Hanson and Lauren James enough to see them through.
The Seagulls had taken the lead in the first half through Inessa Kaagman, but Toone equalised shortly afterwards. In the second half, Brighton regained the lead through Aileen Whelan, but Hanson and James scored late on to seal the win for United.
The result marks a historic moment for Manchester United Women, as they become the first team from the club to reach a Women’s FA Cup final. It is also the first time in four years that a team outside of the Women’s Super League has reached the final.
The Red Devils will now face either Chelsea or Everton in the final, with the two sides due to meet in the semi-final on Saturday.
The victory was a fitting way to mark Manchester United Women’s first season in the top flight of English women’s football, and manager Casey Stoney was delighted with her side’s performance.
“I’m so proud of this team,” she said. “They’ve worked so hard all season and this is a reward for that. We knew it was going to be a tough game but we dug deep and showed great character to come back twice and win.”
The Women’s FA Cup final will take place on Saturday 1st August, and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Fans can also follow all the action across BBC Sport, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Manchester United Women have made history by reaching their first ever Women’s FA Cup final after an exciting 3-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion Women. The Red Devils had to come from behind twice to secure the win, with goals from Ella Toone, Kirsty Hanson and Lauren James enough to see them through.
The Seagulls had taken the lead in the first half through Inessa Kaagman, but Toone equalised shortly afterwards. In the second half, Brighton regained the lead through Aileen Whelan, but Hanson and James scored late on to seal the win for United.
The result marks a historic moment for Manchester United Women, as they become the first team from the club to reach a Women’s FA Cup final. It is also the first time in four years that a team outside of the Women’s Super League has reached the final.
The Red Devils will now face either Chelsea or Everton in the final, with the two sides due to meet in the semi-final on Saturday. Manager Casey Stoney was delighted with her side’s performance, saying: “I’m so proud of this team. They’ve worked so hard all season and this is a reward for that. We knew it was going to be a tough game but we dug deep and showed great character to come back twice and win.”
The Women’s FA Cup final will take place on Saturday 1st August and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Fans can also follow all the action across BBC Sport, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. This is an exciting time for Manchester United Women as they look forward to their first ever FA Cup final appearance.