Albion Women bowed out of the FAWNL Plate following a 2-1 defeat away to Leeds United on Sunday.
In her 50th competitive game at the helm, Jenny Sugarman made four changes to the team that beat Lichfield City in the second round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup - with Ash Brown, Hayley Crackle, Jannelle Straker and Rosie Embley all returning to the starting eleven.
The hosts started on the front foot but found it difficult to break Albion’s well-held defensive line as the Baggies caught Macey Ellis and Amy Woodruff offside on several occasions. Even when they did break through, Liverpool loanee Charlotte Clarke was on hand to make a couple of key saves.
However, three minutes before the break Ellis finally broke the stubborn back-line to sprint in on goal from the left-hand side and fire the ball past Albion's No.1.
The Baggies dusted themselves down and came out stronger in the second half, dominating possession despite a difficult pitch.
Sophie Tudor came close to adding to her two goals this season directly from a corner around the hour mark, her whipped effort just flicking off the outside of the woodwork.
And five minutes later, joint top-scorer and substitute Shannon Stamps created an immediate opportunity with a long-range effort, but her shot looped over the crossbar.
Albion had their best chance to level the scores ten minutes from time. Stamps brilliantly worked her way to the byline before cutting the ball back to Leanne Robinson, yet she was unable to keep her shot on target.
As Albion pressed on for a leveller, Leeds pounced on the counter-attack. A long ball forward evaded Izzy Green and saw Ellis race onto the pass from just past the half-way line, leaving her one-on-one with Clarke - where she placed the ball low into the bottom corner.
Albion’s determined second half performance was rewarded with a goal in the final seconds of added time, Mariam Mahmood reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box to smash high into the net and claim her sixth goal of the campaign.
The Baggies are back on the road next Sunday when they travel to Liverpool Feds in the third round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.
Albion: Clarke, George (C), Brown, Loydon, Walklett (Evans 69) Embley (Green 80), Crackle (Stamps 55), Tudor, Timms (Robinson 85), Warner, Straker (Mahmood 55).