Chelsea Women 1-1 Ajax Women (aggregate 4-1)
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes had promised that her team would not be complacent taking a 3-0 lead into Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Ajax... and she was as good as her word.
Despite wholesale personnel changes with half an eye on Easter Sunday's League Cup final against Arsenal (on BBC2), the Blues stuck to their task to earn a creditable 1-1 draw on the night, and advance to the semis on aggregate.
Looking utterly at home on the European stage was 20-year-old forward Aggie Beever-Jones, whose rapid sprints and dazzling close ball play were a joy to watch.
Hayes has carefully controlled the pace of her development this season, and it is paying dividends as she grows in confidence and channels her raw talent. She may not have made the cut for the England squad this time around, but it's a safe bet she'll be an international before the year is out.
The game marked the Chelsea Champions League debut for the Colombian Mayra Ramirez, who nutmegged Dutch keeper Regina van Eijk in the 33rd minute after winger Guru Reiten supplied the through ball. "I'm happy for her," said Hayes. "It gives me selection headaches for the weekend."
She blamed her teamsheet alterations for the occasional lapses that almost let a lively Ajax side back into the match.
"When you make a lot of changes, you lose some of the rhythm," she conceded, adding that the demanding recent run of matches had taken its toll and led to some individual errors, paving the way to a sloppy equaliser by Chasily Grant for the visitors with 25 minutes remaining. "We have a cup final on Sunday, and we have to keep everyone fresh."
The Blues held firm after conceding, with keeper Zecira Musovic atoning for a handful of first-half clangers that could have proved costly by pulling off a couple of world-class flying saves.
Lauren James was among players rested in midweek (along with goalie Hannah Hampton and Niamh Charles), but everyone on the subs' bench was called in for training on Thursday morning as preparations build for the trek up the M40 to Wolverhampton's Molineux ground.
It promises to be a tough, uncompromising cup final, but with a fresh-legged James leading the line, victory will be within Chelsea's reach.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
