There were five enforced changes for The Pride from last week’s squad with Beth Jones, Emma Gittins, Eliot Sayavong, Sophie Ayton and Loren Roberts all out due to injuries or illness in addition to our longer term absentees - leaving a squad resembling a patchwork quilt for the Challenge Cup 1st Round visit to Castle Donington. The game was already a potential “banana skin”, with our opponents in good form so far this season with four wins from five league games, putting them second in Division 2.

Pride made another good start to the game, with Jess Page on hand after 3 minutes to finish after Daisy Bowen’s shot came back off the post [1-0]. Daisy extended the lead to 2-0 when latching on to Aimee Healy-Raynor’s headed flick after 16’

The injury jinx struck again when Annie Laight came off just after the half hour, being replaced by Abbey Hirst.

Castle Donington reduced the deficit after 38 minutes, and levelled shortly after the second half got underway. Pride were back in front after 51 minutes, however, when Daisy Bowen made the most of the opportunity after being put through by Tash Allderidge.

The hosts scored two quick-fire goals after 71 and 74 minutes to take the lead for the first time, and continued to threaten but the emergency centre back pairing of Rachel Weaver and Abbey Hirst stuck to their task, although Pride survived a close call when a header from a corner went whistling past the post, and had Jodie Hill to thank for a block from a striker when put through.

For Pride, Aimee Healy-Raynor was close with a header from a corner and there were several opportunities from through balls, but Daisy Bowen was caught marginally offside each time.

Just as it looked like time would run out, Pride were handed a lifeline when Aimee Healey-Raynor was caught late in the act of shooting and the referee awarded a penalty, which was converted by Tash Allderidge to level the scores at 4-4 with only time added on to play.

A minute later Daisy Bowen was caught by a heavy challenge, earning the Castle Donington player a yellow card, and limped off with a heavily strapped knee. It didn’t look good but we hope for the best. Neither side were able to break the deadlock in the remaining six minutes of added time and with a penalty shoot out looming Annie Laight came back on with a minute to play.

Pride were up first for penalties, Tash Allderidge, Annie Laight and Rachel Weaver all converting their spot kicks. Both sides had missed a penalty before Jodie Hill, who had already been close to saving a couple of the penalties palmed away Castle Donington’s fourth kick, before settling the tie 4-3 by scoring Pride’s fifth penalty of the shoot-out.

It was a near run thing, and Castle Donington can be justifiably disappointed to have been so close to the win. For their part, the Pride kept plugging away despite further injury setbacks and found a way to grind out a result and to live to fight another day. Jodie Hill was instrumental, with a couple of good saves in the game and for her shoot out heroics, there was another good performance from Bella Dormer filling in at left back, and Abbey Hirst came in at centre back and didn’t look like a player that had only played sixteen minutes in over a year but the Player of the Match was Rachel Weaver, filling in at centre back, who barely put a foot wrong and used her experience to support, encourage and organise the players around her.

We now wait to see how bad the injuries to Annie Laight and, particularly, Daisy Bowen prove to be. Pride are in cup action again next Sunday when Draycott Victoria come to Moorways for the 1st Round of the Derbyshire FA Women’s Cup (1.30pm)