WOMENS FOTBALL: C&K Basildon Ladies suffered penalty heartbreak against West Ham United for the second time in a month.

Basildon lost 4-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw in the FA Women’s Cup on February 9.

And it was the same score on spot kicks on Sunday after the sides were locked at 1-1 after extra time in the Essex County Women’s Cup semi-final.

The Hammers opened the scoring after just five minutes when Lily Mellors picked up a loose ball and sent a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.

But Basildon responded immediately and equalised a minute later when Hannah Porter headed home a Jenny Brown-Wealls corner.

Basildon goalkeeper Mel Kinsalla made a good save from a shot at the far post before Basildon came close to taking the lead on twelve minutes Karen Stephanou hit the outside of the West Ham post. Sara Sinclair then chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, but over the bar, before she headed a Brown-Wealls corner over the bar. Stephanou saw her low shot pushed away at the expense of a corner and then a West Ham forward shot wide when well placed following a counter-attack.

Ten minutes into extra time, Hannah Porter met Brown-Wealls’ corner, only to see her header come back off of the crossbar. The second period of extra time saw a dangerous West Ham break end with a well struck shot that went just over the bar before the Hammers won resultant penalty shoot out 4-3 to line up a final with Barking.

Basildon: Kinsalla, Farmer (Carty), Lacey, Lawler, Eagles, Stephanou (Nash), Porter, Sinclair, Carty, Rushen and Brown-Wealls.