​Chesterfield Ladies lose out in dramatic final league game

A brace from Gina Camfield in her last ever game before retirement plus a goal from Hannah Baker were not enough to avoid defeat in a very eventful and controversial game.

Blues goalkeeper Nic Watson made an outstanding block in the seventh minute to deny the hosts from taking a very early lead. However, the deadlock was broken by Anstey only four minutes later when a long range effort looped over Watson and found the back of the net in spectacular fashion.

The visitors responded well though and quickly grabbed an equaliser after 15 minutes played. Camfield found time and space to fire an effort on target which was too hot to handle for the Nomads goalkeeper and the ball hit the back of the net.

Camfield almost scored again in the 17th minute when her lobbed effort was well saved. Three minutes later, Sophie Marshall saw a stinging effort palmed away to safety before Kel Fidler guided a close-range shot wide of the post.

Chesterfield deservedly took the lead in the 35th minute when Camfield expertly slotted the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards out to secure her 13th goal of the season.

Anstey fired a warning though five minutes before the interval. With just the goalkeeper to beat, Watson made another terrific save to thwart the hosts and keep the Blues in front at half-time.

Controversy struck just two minutes after the restart during a phase of play where Chesterfield were down to ten players following Kel Fidler’s sin bin just before the half-time whistle.

Watson looked to have been clearly fouled by an Anstey forward which saw the ball spill out of her hands and into the path of another Nomads player who easily rolled the ball home from ten yards out to make it 2-2.

With Chesterfield on the ropes, momentum suddenly swung in favour of the hosts and they ended up taking the lead in the 61st minute from the penalty spot after Amy Pashley’s foul.

With 20 minutes remaining, Blues keeper Watson had to be substituted due to the painful injury she picked up at the start of the second half. With no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, full-back Lily Naylor volunteered to go between the sticks for the final quarter of the game.

Just like the first half, Chesterfield responded well after going behind and deservedly found another equaliser in the 76th minute thanks to an excellent strike from Hannah Baker.

The visitors had two huge opportunities to take all three points in the closing stages of the match. Substitute Lucy Graham saw her 15 yard effort hit the post in the 78th minute then in stoppage time Millie Standen’s close-range shot hit the side netting.

Hearts sank though when it was Anstey who claimed all three points deep into injury time. A long range free-kick was seemingly kept out by Naylor before the teenager was clattered to the ground following a rough challenge by an Anstey forward. The assistant referee ruled that the ball had just crept over the line before Naylor was barged over and so the decision to award a goal stood and Chesterfield Ladies went on to lose the game 4-3.