FA Women’s Championship: Chances at a premium as Palace drew 0-0 with Sheffield United

Crystal Palace and Sheffield United fought out a 0-0 draw at Hayes Lane in an FA Women’s Championship game of few clear chances.

It was the Blades who started brightest as Maddy Cusack tested Emily Orman inside five minutes before Jess Clarke volleyed wide at the back post, but Palace almost went ahead when Coral-Jade Haines saw an effort well saved by Fran Kitching and Millie Farrow’s follow-up cleared away.

The game became a bit stop-start with a couple of injury stoppages leading up to half-time, but Orman was again alert to deny Courtney Sweetman-Kirk while Clarke felt she should have had a penalty in first-half stoppage time.

Neither side really created too many clear chances after the break, Siobhan Wilson threatened for the hosts with a couple of shots from distance, while Clarke was similar for United as she twice cut in from the left and saw efforts flash past the far post.

As the game became more and more stretched late on, it looked like someone would steal the points, but the hosts were denied by some brilliant last-ditch defending from a corner in stoppage time, before United broke up field and Lucy Watson saw a low effort go agonisingly past the far post.

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