Match reportLeeds edged a tough battle against Premier League rivals Chelsea to win the right to face Everton in the Premier League Cup Final on 11 February.

Late goals from Carla Cantrell and Sophie Bradley were enough to see Leeds through in what was only their first full game since early November.

But the result was marred by an injury to Jess Wright, only just returning to action from an ACL injury she suffered at the same ground last season.

Despite not having played a full game since the quarter-final against Blackburn on 8 November, Leeds always looked the more likely of the teams to win, despite an even, dour first half in which both teams looked a little ring-rusty.

Leeds came out for the second half much more determined to stamp their authority on the tie, with good chances being created by Jess Clarke and Ellen White, before Leeds opened their account after 71 minutes. A Chelsea cross was charged down by Laura Bassett, who then took the ball to the halfway line before passing to Cantrell, who in turn shrugged of the attentions of Chelsea’s defence before slotting the ball past Siobhan Chamberlain.

Chamberlain gifted Leeds their second goal, when she failed to catch a Cantrell corner, allowing Sophie Bradley to stab the ball home in the 86th minute.

“To have not played for so long shows the strength of the team,” said Leeds manager Rick Passmoor. “Every player in the squad played their part in the win, and everyone is looking forward to the final.”