Charlton Athletic Women secured promotion to the Women’s Super League after defeating Leicester City Women in a tense play-off at The Valley.
With a place in the WSL on the line, both sides created opportunities across 90 minutes but were unable to find the breakthrough. Charlton remained organised defensively, while Leicester pushed to make their WSL experience count in key moments of the match.
As the game progressed, the tension around the stadium continued to grow, with neither side willing to give away a decisive mistake. Leicester came close on several occasions, but Charlton goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse produced a number of important saves to keep the scores level.
After extra time failed to separate the two teams, the match went to penalties. Whitehouse proved decisive in the shootout, saving four penalties to help Charlton secure promotion and spark celebrations at the final whistle.
Nicole Jones (NAJ Photography) was pitchside throughout the afternoon, capturing the atmosphere and key moments from a historic day at The Valley.
All images from Charlton Athletic v Leicester City are captured by NAJ Photography.
