Bradford City Women 2 Huddersfield Town 2 (Huddersfield won 4-3 on pens)

BRADFORD City Women's second defeat to Huddersfield Town in as many months saw them eliminated from the FA Women’s Premier League Plate competition on Sunday.

Kate Mallin bagged her third and fourth goals against the Bantams this season in normal time, before starting Town’s shootout win with a successful spot-kick.

City fell behind twice in the game and showed great character to draw level on both occasions, but the lottery of penalties ended with their local rivals progressing to the last eight.

"Penalties are a cruel way to lose, especially after the performance we gave, but unfortunately that's football and there has to be a winner and a loser,” said City player-manager Charlotte Stuart.

"We dominated the game and certainly had the majority of the possession and chances – we just couldn't find the back of the net in the end."

Despite Mallin’s first half brace, goals from Lucy Sowerby and Laura Elford meant the clash was all square at the break.

Elford’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time gave City the momentum after the restart, although that could have been the lead had Sowerby’s effort minutes earlier not been disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

Having dominated at leaders Blackburn seven days prior only to leave empty-handed, Bradford were keen to make it count this time, but their luck was out.

A goal-line clearance denied Ellie Olds her third goal of the season, while the woodwork thwarted Paige Crosby in the dying embers of normal time.

City continued throwing everything at Town in the added 30 minutes, but Laura Carter’s contributions in the away goal kept them at bay.

A particularly exceptional save denied Elford a fourth brace in five games, with the two teams to instead be separated on penalties.

Crosby’s failure to score City's opening spot-kick gave Town an early edge, which they maintained until the decisive fifth penalties.

There, a Huddersfield miss gave Hannah Campbell chance to take it to sudden death, but she couldn’t convert as City endured a painful exit from the competition.

Stuart couldn’t say a bad word at full-time though, even if the result didn’t go Bradford's way.

"I can't knock the girls’ performance today after their constant hard work and determination," she remarked.

"We are getting stronger and stronger each week, today just wasn't our day.”