Pegasus Ladies 1 Headless Cross Ladies 3

(aet)

IN spite of being forced to reshuffle the side through injury, Pegasus took league champions Headless Cross all the way in the final of the Hereford and Worcester Ladies County Cup at Pershore.

The enforced tactical changes seemed to have paid off when Julie Nicholas, playing as sweeper, played a long pass to split the Cross defence and allow Eve Greenhouse to lob the ball home.

Headless Cross, who were seeking a league and cup double, pushed forward through the first half but the Pegasus defence held out resolutely to reach the interval with a deserved advantage.

After the break, further good defensive work by Cara Mifflin and Caroline Blake contained the league's top goalscorers Sarah Day and Teresa Boddington while skipper Lucy Belcher and Lucy Blandford kept the dangerous Cross midfielders in check.

But after 75 minutes, a well-rehearsed corner-kick routine saw Tina Benbow equalise and although Laura Maxwell and Greenhouse chased tirelessly in attack, neither side was able to conjure up another goal before the end of normal time.

A superb save by Marcie Snead kept the scores level in the first added period but five minutes into the second half the dangerous Day broke away to put Cross ahead for the first time.

With Pegasus finally tiring, it came as no great surprise when Day rounded Snead to extend the lead and seal the win with a third goal just before the end.