Shaw suffers injury in FA Cup heartbreak

LONDON, England (CMC):

Jamaican international Khadija “Bunny” Shaw set up one goal but then missed a couple of chances before limping off injured in the 70th minute as Manchester City failed to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in their history in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Tottenham yesterday.

The 27-year-old provided the assist for Mary Fowler’s close-range finish in the sixth minute, which was eventually cancelled out by Bethany England’s strike deep in stoppage time at the end at Brisbane Road.

Following a goalless extra-time period, Tottenham stunned City in the resulting penalty shoot-out, winning 4-3 to join Chelsea, Manchester United, and Leicester in the final four.

“To be fair, we didn’t deserve to win,” City manager Gareth Taylor said in a candid assessment of his side’s performance.

“Barring the first 20, 25 minutes, where I thought we were really good, the game kind of slowly ebbed away from us, and in the second half, I don’t think we were great at all.”

City were off and running when Fowler fed Shaw on the right, the prolific Reggae Girl returning the favour courtesy of a deft flick, before the Australia international produced a deflected finish.

Shaw then missed chances on either side of the break. First, she fired wide after being set up by Filippa Angeldahl’s cross just before half-time and then headed over Laura Hemp’s cross not long following the resumption.

Shaw, already with 15 goals this season, bowed out mid-way during the half after going down in the box clutching her shoulder.

And City were made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal in the dying minutes of the contest, Spanish defender Laia Aleixandri and goalkeeper Khiara Keating getting their lines crossed over a routine clearance and allowing Bethany England to slot into an open net.