Charlton Athletic will play in the Women’s Super League for the first time after beating Leicester City 2-1 on penalties in the first-ever WSL promotion play-off.
The game finished 0-0 after extra time before a nervy shootout settled it, with Charlton goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse the hero.
How Did Charlton Secure their WSL Spot?
The Addicks were the better side for long spells. Whitehouse made a stunning save to deny Shannon O’Brien on the stroke of half-time, and blocked Ashleigh Neville’s header at the back post in the 93rd minute to force extra time.
The hosts thought they had won it in the first half of extra time when substitute Katie Lockwood’s effort bounced off the underside of the crossbar but was deemed not to have crossed the line.
With no goal-line technology or VAR in play, Lobato followed up to head in the rebound – but the offside flag went up.
The shootout eventually went Charlton’s way, with Whitehouse – the WSL 2 Golden Glove winner who kept eight clean sheets this season – saving four penalties, including Noemie Mouchon’s decisive final spot-kick.
What Does this Mean for Charlton?
It is a remarkable achievement for The Addicks, given that they’re competing against teams with significantly larger budgets and better access to resources.
They’ll now be hoping that Manager Karen Hills – who previously guided Tottenham to the WSL title in 2019 – will be able to use her top-flight experience to keep the newly-promoted squad in the highest division after next season.
