Brentford Women 2 Dartford 2: Phillips' late penalty hands Bees point in LSE Premier draw | OneFootball

Brentford Women fought out a tough 2-2 draw with fellow London and South East Premier title challengers Dartford on Sunday.

Katie Gilligan opened the scoring at Bedfont Sports Club, her first goal for the club. The visitors responded to go 2-1 up during the second half, however an added time panalty to the Bees saw Maddie Phillips step up and secure a point for the hosts.

In the rain in west London the start of the game reflected a clash featuring two teams near the top of the table, both sides bringing a high intensity to the opening 10 minutes.

The first real chance on goal came through Gabby Howell who launched a long-range strike at goal, however Saskia Reeves-Priestley was up to the task in goal for Brentford, tipping the ball over the bar as she back-peddled towards goal.

On 16 minutes Wiktoria Kiszkis did well to flick on Reeves-Priestley’s goal kick to a breaking Ashley Cheatley who made her way into the box, however her shot was sent straight to Jade Charlton in goal for Dartford.

Carly Williams’ side went one better three minutes later as Gilligan scored her first goal in Brentford colours. Looking like she might fire at goal, Kiszkis instead played a neat ball to Gilligan inside the box, the midfielder turning and firing it goalward, finding the back of the net for the opener.

With some momentum behind them the Bees continued to control the ball in Dartford’s half. After Cheatley was taken down outside the box down the right side, Lucy Potter stepped up to take the free-kick and sent a dangerous cross to Kiszkis at the back post, but her glancing header was wide of the target.

Kiszkis came close to scoring again as the half-hour mark ticked over. Running onto Ilana Harris-Walters’ cross from the right side, the forward looked to whip it into the top right corner on her first touch, but her effort was just wide of the goal.

Kiszkis was proving a hassle for the visitors and as half-time approached seemed destined to score. As Gilligan pushed out on the counterattack for the Bees from their box, Kiszkis found herself in space and received the ball from Gilligan in Dartford’s half, however before she could look to score once inside the box, a well-timed Dartford tackle arrived to save the day.

Despite the west Londoners’ dominance, it was Dartford who went into the break with momentum. Stepping up to take a free-kick outside the box, Abbey Davies curled a superb strike over the fingertips of Reeves-Priestley to equalise.

As they had done in the first half, Dartford started on the front foot as the second 45 minutes got under way. Inside the opening two minutes of the restart Brentford defender Rachel Dugdale contested the ball with Shauni Griffiths near the edge of the Brentford box, the latter sticking her boot at the ball and watching it go just wide of the goal.

Soon after a cross from the right side faded towards goal but was kept out by Reeves-Priestley. The rebound was headed by Makeba Black but deflected off Dartford’s Xayla-Rae Alberts and into the post before being cleared.

With the 60-minute mark inching close Cheatley received the ball in the middle of the pitch and immediately sent it out to Potter breaking down the left side. She pushed forward before crossing to Kiszkis in the box who lost her defender as she turned inside. The ball continued to roll and both Kiszkis and Charlton slid in to contest it, the latter able to secure the ball once it came clear.

Following a frenetic start to the second half the game became a tight struggle, neither side able to trouble the opposition’s backline.

That changed on 79 minutes as Dartford went ahead. Lizzie Adam’s strike from distance sailed over Reeves-Priestley and into the goal to make it 2-1.

Attacking substitutes Chelsie Berry, Paula Holguin, Maï Louvrier and Freya Worsley were bought on as Williams looked to find a late equaliser.

She got just that in added time. After a Potter corner was contested in the box, Asees Sangha looked to take possession of the rebound and was taken down, the referee pointing to the spot.

Captain Phillips stepped up to take the spot kick and smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-2 late on, the full-time whistle following soon after to see the points shared.

Brentford Women: Reeves-Priestley, Phillips, Dugdale (Holguin 86), Potter, Harris-Walters, Sangha, Down (Louvrier 73), Cheatley, Black, Kiszkis (Berry 73), Gilligan (Worsley 86)

Subs not used: McKenzie

Booked: Dugdale 45+1

Dartford: Charlton, Davis, Davies, Adams, Griffiths, Smith, Alberts, Howell, Cunningham, Dolby, Bromfield

Subs: Caseros, Franklin, Awan, Smith, Ejupi

Williams: We saw a lot of resilience out of our players

Brentford Women head coach Carly Williams reflected on her side's 2-2 London and South East Premier draw with Dartford.

"I think it was obviously hard fought, but we saw a lot of resilience out of our players and we played some good football in there, so it was really pleasing that we did get something out of this game," she said.

"Obviously the last game (against Dartford) we were disappointed with our performance, so to come out today and really take the game to them, that's what we've been working at all week and all season really, making sure we're competing and playing our way.

"I think we keep pushing on, this is our first time in Tier 5, so how far can we push as a team, making sure that we're playing our way and that we're playing good football."