Charlton Athletic vs Leicester City LIVE: WSL/WSL2 Promotion/Relegation Play-off stats & head-to-head
Charlton Athletic have been promoted to the Women’s Super League for the first time after beating Leicester City in a penalty shootout in the first ever play-off tie.
Goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse produced several top saves throughout the match to keep her side in it and stopped four penalties in the shootout.
Her team-mates sprinted to celebrate with her when she saved Noemie Mouchon’s deciding penalty, while manager Karen Hills was close to tears on the touchline.
Charlton were the better team for large spells and almost won it in extra-time when substitute Katie Lockwood hit the crossbar but the follow-up headed goal was disallowed for offside.
Leicester finished bottom of the WSL after a poor campaign but were given a lifeline in the play-off as the league expands from 12 to 14 teams next season.
But it was a disappointing performance from Rick Passmoor’s side, who are relegated after a five-year spell in the top flight.
It is a crushing way for their season to end and compounds the disappointment already felt by fans as their men’s team were relegated to League One.
Charlton Athletic finished the WSL 2 season in third place – two points behind champions Birmingham – having been top going into the last day.
Whitehouse, the WSL 2 Golden Glove winner, was in majestic form again though, as she pulled off a stunning save to deny Shannon O’Brien on the stroke of half-time.
She was also called into action in the 93rd minute when she blocked Leicester substitute Ashleigh Neville’s header at the back post.
The hosts, in front of a club record home crowd at The Valley of 3979, thought they had won it through Lockwood but the ball bounced off the underside of the crossbar and was deemed to have not crossed the line.
With no goalline technology or video assistant referee (VAR) in play, team-mate Lucia Lobato followed up the rebound to head in but the offside flag went up.
Their wait for promotion eventually paid off as the crowd roared in celebration at the end of a nervy penalty shootout.
Next season there will be one automatic promotion spot for the winner of WSL 2, with the bottom team in the WSL relegated.
In addition, there will be a play-off between second bottom of the WSL and runners-up in WSL 2.
