Lowestoft Town Ladies overcame several bouts of adversity to win their Suffolk Women's Cup Quarter Final on penalties at Ipswich Valley Rangers and secure the clubs place in the Semi Finals.

Lowestoft were behind twice but stuck together and rallied, Selina Rowland's thunderbolt from distance secured extra time, In a stand out individual performance, Rowland was then first up for the penalties and scored, a shootout which Lowestoft won 4-2.

It was a day of high drama and tense excitement at Westbourne Academy but little energy saving as on a glorious January day, the floodlights were blaring out from the moment the squads arrived at 12.30pm until the conclusion of the afternoon. To add to the awkward away cup tie vibes, there was also no keys to provide security for the changing rooms, all things that are unusual at this level of Football. We weren't done there, The players were then conducting their warm ups and the tension ahead of the quarter final reached further levels with match referee Oscar Joy not turning up and not notifying the clubs.

Fortunately, within the crowd was Ella Karkosa, a highly experienced Women's National League standard referee initially there just to spectate, who to the relief of both teams, kindly then volunteered to take charge of the game, Lowestoft kindly assisted Ella with some shorts we were then good to go, due's to Ella's efficiency and willingness instead of the game being postponed, we kicked off just a mere 10 minutes late.

The game, played on the 3G facility at Westbourne Academy, in between the school buildings and risen above the car park up the stairs, a pitch the narrowest the ladies had played on all season and only just meeting the required standards for adult football, the close intimate nature of the spectators and invisible dugouts being on top of each other. This had all the ingredients and phycological feelings of a tricky and awkward cup tie on the road and it proved to be.

Lowestoft throughout the contest were the dominant and more pleasing Football team on the eye but they struggled to in the final third during the first half to have any real impact, any chances created were missed. Against the run of play Ipswich Valley Rangers took the lead when the ball was played through and the striker finished well beyond Chloe Pearce in the Lowestoft goal to give Ipswich the Half Time lead.

Ipswich Valley Rangers were employing all kinds of delaying tactics to time waste even from before they took the lead, the goalkeeper under instruction from management to hold the ball until she legally had to release it under the 8 second rule. The spectators lost count of the amount of times referee Ella Karkosa counted all the way up to 5.

Lowestoft had plenty of work to do to navigate their way back into the game. With the Trawler Girls struggling to make any impact on the Ipswich goal manager Iain Spoor made the inspired call to put Abi Bell up top and within three minutes Lowestoft were level. Captain Charnelle Riggall had a shot from distance which the goalkeeper parried and Lauren Goulder was there with strikers instinct to finish well from close range. The change in personnel and subsequent success had Jose Mourinho Esque masterclass vibes all over it.

In a cup tie that ebbed and flowed, Lowestoft fell behind again when a huge lapse in concentration saw Ipswich find a second goal to re-take the lead.

As the tension grew, Referee Karkosa had to stop the game due to a verbal altercation between the Ipswich Valley bench and some spectators. The result was a warning from Karkosa to the management staff in the Ipswich dugout.

Lowestoft needed more and when the chips are down its the senior players that usually rescue a team, yesterday was no different, stalwart of football in East Anglia, Selina Rowland scored a thunderbolt from near 30 yards to take a dramatic game to penalties.

Rowland then stepped up again as a true role model to dispatch the first penalty, a shootout Lowestoft won 4-2 thanks to penalties from Bea Silva, Abi Bell and Lauren Purling with the deciding act.

On a challenging afternoon, there was a mix of relief and also joy that Lowestoft Town had reached the Semi Finals in their first season since their re-birth in the summer.

After a month without a game, it was an afternoon that brought significant challenge both physically and mentally but it was an afternoon Lowestoft were able to overcome.

The Semi Final draw will be released on Friday by BBC Radio Suffolk between 6 and 7pm as well as via the Suffolk FA social media pages. Lowestoft Captain Charnelle Riggall has accepted a Suffolk FA invitation and will be involved in the conducting of the draw.

The ladies next game is more Quarter Final action this time in the League Cup on Sunday when they welcome North Walsham Town to Crown Meadow with a 2.00pm kick off.

By Darrell Allen