THORNABY FC WOMEN have reached the first round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Teenager Daisy Swash displayed all the composure in the world to strike the winning spot-kick in a dramatic 4-2 win in a penalty shoot-out at Rotherham United.

And the scenes that followed on the Roundwood pitch will live with the proud Teesside club forever – just months after fearing there wasn’t going to be a female team at all.

"It was phenomenal to see the ball go in," said Swash. "It was a great feeling, absolutely amazing.  It is the biggest thing we have done and it is going to be incredible for a club like Thornaby. 

"It is such a good thing for this club to gain greater recognition. For the club as it is, and where we are going as a team, it is fantastic to help grow our community and to be in the first round of the FA Cup is going to do that." 

Thornaby took two coaches down the M1 to South Yorkshire, plus plenty of other fans, for the final qualifying round tie.

And when Rotherham took the lead against the run of play in the 12th minute it looked like the team from the higher division had taken a giant leap towards the first round proper.

That goal was not without controversy either. After Sophie Curle and Swash had gone close for Thornaby, at the other end the visitors’ goalkeeper Phoebe Townsend required treatment after a collision in the penalty area. From the uncontested drop ball that restarted things, Rotherham’s Delia Hurdiss’ long range lob over the recovering goalkeeper dropped straight in.

Despite the frustrations, Thornaby kept pushing on. Shauna Gatley had a couple of free-kicks go close, while Swash was unlucky not to score after beating her marker and narrowly missing.

Robyn Foster was a constant menace to the home defence, while Curle’s presence caused problems too. And with ten minutes remaining, the equaliser arrived when substitute Robyn Ingram’s 35-yard free-kick wide on the left flew straight over the goalkeeper.

When Foster’s late chance was saved following good work from Curle, penalties arrived.

Curle started things off by hitting the top corner and Ingram converted too.
But when Estelle Clark’s strike was held by Ridsdel-Harrison to her left, Rotherham had hope – only for the hosts' Hurdiss to have the next one brilliantly saved by Townsend too.  

That gave Thornaby the encouragement required to finish off the job. And when the impressive Foster’s finish straight down the middle was followed by Rotherham's Dina Sarayreh firing over the bar, the stage was set for Swash.

With nerves jangling around Roundwood, the 17-year-old stepped up, steadied herself before striking precisely inside the bottom-right corner.