Aggie Beever-Jones kept Chelsea's hopes of a quadruple alive as her stoppage-time winner fired her side to a place in the Adobe Women's FA Cup final with 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Kingsmeadow.
It was Liverpool who took the lead after 21 minutes when Olivia Smith struck on the counter but Erin Cuthbert’s lofted shot to the far post put Chelsea level on the stroke of half time.
After Taylor Hinds hit the crossbar and saw the rebound cleared off the line moments before, it was Beever-Jones who made the decisive impact as she headed home a 94th-minute winner to the delight of the home support.
There’s no better time to score than injury-time 💪
— Adobe Women's FA Cup (@AdobeWFACup) April 12, 2025
Aggie Beever-Jones with the header for @ChelseaFCW 💙#AdobeWomensFACup pic.twitter.com/Xm53sKz0Yt
Sonia Bompastor made six changes from the side that drew 2-2 with West Ham on Chelsea’s return to Kingsmeadow after the international break, as Sandy Baltimore, Wieke Kaptein, Mayra Ramirez, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh all returned to the starting XI.
Amber Whiteley opted for continuity, making three changes from her side’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa as Smith returned from injury and Sam Kerr and Gemma Evans were handed starts.
Chelsea dealt well with early pressure from Smith and Leanne Kiernan who were put to work harrying Baltimore and Millie Bright from the off.
Those early forays forward by the visitors proved the only real threat in an opening period which barely saw the ball leave the Liverpool half.
Chelsea’s best chance of the period came from the corner as Rachael Laws was forced to punch the initial delivery clear before Nathalie Björn’s sweeping shot across goal was blocked.
Despite four consecutive corners, the hosts could not turn their considerable pressure into goals, however, and Smith took full advantage of their profligacy.
Streaking away down the right, Smith beat the Chelsea defence for pace before cutting inside in the box and firing across goal into the bottom corner.
WHO ELSE!? 🇨🇦
— Adobe Women's FA Cup (@AdobeWFACup) April 12, 2025
A devastating ball from Höbinger feeds in Olivia Smith, who provides a special moment for @LiverpoolFCW 🤩#AdobeWomensFACup pic.twitter.com/YP2sKc1Fvm
Chelsea tried to offer an immediate response minutes later through Ramirez but a sliding last ditch tackle from Gemma Bonner preserved Liverpool’s lead.
The Liverpool threat persisted, too, with Smith once more finding her way in behind in a congested Chelsea box to win a corner which Grace Fisk could not direct on target.
Marie Höbinger was denied minutes later when a fast-paced Liverpool counter saw Fisk cut the ball back to the Austrian, who forced Hampton to palm behind with a strike from range.
While Liverpool continued to threaten on the break, the hosts soon restored control, and with it parity. Baltimore’s persistence in the box got its just deserts as her nifty footwork created space for Ramirez to keep the ball alive before Cuthbert lifted the ball into the far corner with Laws only able to get a glancing touch.
Chelsea maintained their possessional dominance in the second half but the Liverpool defence proved equal to it. Beever-Jones was twice denied as she saw a shot blocked before a inch-perfect Bonner tackle took the ball from her feet as she shaped up for another.
Erin Cuthbert helps it home for @ChelseaFCW on the stroke of half-time 🔵#AdobeWomensFACup pic.twitter.com/83bLecoA3F
— Adobe Women's FA Cup (@AdobeWFACup) April 12, 2025
The hosts kept pressing and it was Beever-Jones who again found herself with chances to put her side ahead. Turning to shoot from close range, she saw Laws tip her stinging shot over the bar with an instinctive save before wasting her own quick footwork to blaze over a second attempt from inside the box.
As Laws went into the book for time-wasting, Chelsea’s urgency only grew with Cuthbert surging into space in the midfield before firing just over from range with 15 minutes to go.
It was Liverpool, however, who came closest to a winner inside 90 minutes as a looping cross from Hinds bounced down from the bar before being cleared off the line.
But it was Beever-Jones who deservedly found the back of the net to give the home crowd a moment to savour deep into stoppage time.
The forward, who returned fresh from a first England goal, rose highest in the box to head home the winner from Baltimore’s cross in the 94th minute and send Chelsea to Wembley.
