The referee took centre stage on Sunday afternoon as Bradford City were eliminated from the FAWPL Cup by Stoke City, losing 3-2 in a game containing three penalties.
The Bantams started superbly on the day, ahead after only four minutes thanks to Amanda Ellsworth, who marked her full debut with an early goal.
Stoke equalised later in the half from a free-kick, but it was Bradford who led at the break, Hannah Campbell again on the scoresheet with a composed finish.
It could have been 3-1 at half time too, but the Potters’ ‘keeper came up with a top save from the spot and the hosts used this to give them the momentum to come back again after the restart.
It was two penalties that won them the game, the first conceded in controversial fashion just after the hour, but smashed home much more convincingly.
The second was the most difficult to take though, despite it being a stone-wall spot-kick, with it coming in the second minute of added time and after Bradford had hit the bar at 2-2.
Despite the pressure, Stoke were able to win the game with the late opportunity and progressed to the next round of the cup as a result.
The Bantams got off to a flyer on Sunday afternoon, taking the lead after all of four minutes after a bright start.
Only moments after Rosie McDonnell had put a good chance wide on the counter, Ellsworth broke the deadlock as she took advantage of a defensive error from the Potters and clinically converted from a tight angle.
The American striker made her debut off the bench last time out as Bradford hammered eight past Wetherby Athletic in the County Cup without reply, and her brace in that game earned her her full debut this week, which she made the most of immediately.
Ellsworth could have matched her tally for that game in this one after only 21 minutes too, but after bursting through and away from her marker, she was unable to hit the target.
Despite the strong start made by the visitors, they would be pegged back on the half hour mark by Stoke, with Bradford’s goalkeeper Chloe Precious beaten to a free-kick by Natasha Lilly, who headed home to equalise.
The Bantams weren’t behind for long though, Rachel Lee playing a fantastic ball over the top for top-scorer Hannah Campbell eight minutes later and the former-Leeds forward being her clinical self as she raced through on goal and coolly slotted the chance away.
The game continued to be entertaining and end-to-end as the break neared, with Precious forced into a good save, tipping the ball onto the post as Stoke looked for another equaliser on the counter.
On the stroke of half time, the away side should have gone two up though and the home side a player down, Campbell brought down in the area as she was again put through on goal. The referee pointed to the spot, but somehow did not brandish an obvious red card for the defender being the last man, to the utmost disbelief of the Bantams.
To make matters worse, the penalty was saved brilliantly by the Stoke ‘keeper, meaning the score remained just 2-1 to Bradford at the interval.
This only spurred the visitors on though, with them coming out looking even more determined in the second half.
As a result, chances came thick and fast immediately from the restart, Alarna Fuller’s flick-on from a free-kick diverted goalwards by Faye Boshell, only to fall inches wide of the post just four minutes into the second period.
Not long after, Ellsworth was again causing problems as she struck goalwards but saw her effort blocked this time by a desperate last-ditch challenge.
Against the run of play, it was Stoke who got the next goal. Just moments after Precious made another superb fingertip save, the hosts were awarded a penalty and a dubious one at that.
Nonetheless, the Potters took full advantage of the opportunity, Faye McCoy stepping up to smash the spot kick into the back of the net and level things up once more, setting us up for a grand stand finish with 22 minutes remaining.
These closing stages were tight and cagey, given that neither side wanted to concede as they pursued a winning goal.
With 14 minutes to go though, the Bantams came within centimetres of that third goal, Lee’s almost-perfect free-kick cannoning back into play off the crossbar before it was cleared by the Stoke defence.
Instead, it would be a stoppage time penalty that decided the game, the referee pointing to the spot for the third time in the game and the second time for the Potters, Charlotte Stuart penalised in the second minute of injury time.
The defender should have been sent off in truth, but the referee again did not pull out a card as City’s centre-back fortunately avoided a three-game ban.
This will hardly cushion the blow though that McCoy dealt the visitors, with her stepping up to convert from 12 yards for a second time, this one winning the game.
It was a tough defeat for the Bantams to take given their first half dominance and that they were the better team throughout, overall.
Positives can be taken from the display, whilst the fact that it was a cup game can be interpreted in a good way too, meaning one less distraction for Bradford as they focus on progressing up the standings in the league instead.
Still, it was a great chance for the team to boost morale and confidence after a rocky start to the season, and one not taken as they fell to an undeserved defeat on the road.
Next up for the Bantams is a return to league action and a trip to the Midlands to face pacesetters Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with them looking to do the double after a 3-0 win on their own patch back in August.