LUCY Cooper struck the late winner as Cherries dashed the hopes of Portsmouth in the women’s Hampshire Senior Cup for the second year in succession.
Pompey had won the trophy a staggering 13 years on the trot, prior to losing to Cherries in the semi-finals last season.
Cherries went on to lift the trophy and they began the defence of their crown by edging past Portsmouth 1-0 at Long Lane in Ringwood.
Both clubs came into the tie on the back of fine starts to the season. They both sit top of their respective league tables, Pompey competing a level above Cherries.
But that gap in the pyramid was not evident during the game.
Pompey almost got an early lead when Cherries’ goalkeeper Daniela Kosinska saved to deny stand-in skipper Abby Jones from turning into her own net.
At the other end, Hannah Haughton thwarted Alisha Buckingham.
Ella Humphrey went close midway through the second half for the visitors, before the decisive moment on 79 minutes as striker Cooper found the breakthrough.
Steve Cuss’s side progress into the quarter-finals.
Cherries: Kosinska, Jones, Bleazard, A Treweek, Smith, Buckingham, McGuinness, Venditto, James, Barron-Clark, Cooper.
Subs: Fripp, Gladwell, Hillier, Gilroy, Bloomfield.
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