Finally, after four years of trying – three on the trot, Chelsea are playing in a Conti Cup final, writes Jane Grove.

The Blues met tough opponents in a Man U side which – especially in the second half – had them on the ropes before the 1,000-plus crowd at the Leigh Sports Village stadium.

It wasn’t until the 72nd minute that Chelsea broke the deadlock. Maren Mjelde (pictured centre), assisted by an Erin Cuthbert cross to the far side of the box, fired the ball at a seemingly too-tight-to-shoot angle past the outstretched arms of United’s goalie Mary Earps into the far corner of the net.

The Norwegian international seems to be the Red Devils’ nemesis, having scored the winning goal against them at Kingsmeadow in November in the first ever meeting in the Super League between the two sides.

Chelsea had barely tested the England international keeper before then – apart from a first-half header by Millie Bright which Earps tipped on to the bar.

United’s Lauren James was the danger woman throughout the game, threatening the Blues defence on a number of occasions, almost grabbing an equaliser two minutes after Mjelde’s strike. The ball fell to Jackie Groenen in midfield who fed James, but the youngest player in the United squad, shooting from the edge of the area, skyed the ball.

Chelsea eventually gained the upper hand in a physical Continental Tyres League Cup game which saw four bookings.

“Winning isn’t always pretty but we dug deep and deserved that win,” tweeted striker Bethany England. “Hero Maren Mjelde once again! Final here we come.”

The team coach will be heading up the M1 to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Saturday, February 29 for the decider against Arsenal, who beat title-holders Man City 2-1.

Chelsea (4-4-2) Telford; Blundell, Bright, Eriksson (c), Andersson; Mjelde, Ingle, Spence (Murphy 90+2), Reiten; England, Cuthbert

Unused subs Berger, Carter, Cooper, Napier
Scorer Mjelde 72
Booked Ingle 27, Eriksson 57