Chelsea win Women’s FA Cup to complete English treble

LONDON: Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Women´s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday to complete an English domestic treble in French coach Sonia Bompastor´s first season in charge.

Sandy Baltimore scored twice, either side of setting up Catarina Macario for the west London side´s second. France international Baltimore opened the scoring from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time before Macario headed in her free-kick to put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute.

Baltimore then wrapped up the scoring against United, last season´s FA Cup winners, in the first minute of added-on time when she turned Lisa Naalsund before lashing the ball home from close range.

Chelsea had already been crowned English champions, becoming the first team to remain unbeaten in a 22-game Women´s Super League season as they won their sixth successive domestic league title after previously lifting the League Cup.

Bompastor took over at Chelsea after long-serving and successful manager Emma Hayes left to become the United States´ national women´s team manager. But their hopes of a quadruple were scuppered when they lost 8-2 on aggregate to Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Women´s Champions League -- a tournament they´ve yet to win for all their domestic triumphs.

At Wembley, in a crowd featuring new Chelsea women´s team investor Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian -- as well his tennis champion wife Serena Williams -- the Blues dominated the first half but were kept waiting for an opening goal.

It looked as if United would go into the break with the game still goalless but poor defending from Celin Bizet saw her step into Erin Cuthbert and bring the Scotland midfielder down.

A penalty was quickly awarded and Baltimore, despite the massed ranks of United fans behind the goal trying to distract her, coolly beat goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce from the spot. An improved United had their chances to equalise early in the second half and even the introduction of England star Ella Toone off the bench could not bring the Cup-holders a goal.