Chelsea Ladies 3 Millwall Lionesses 1

Dunia Susi and Lianne Sanderson struck in the dying minutes to give Chelsea a hard-earned victory over league leaders Millwall at a rain-soaked Imber Court on Wednesday night.

Ann-Marie Heatherson had given the visitors a deserved lead at the break, while the Lionesses’s Leah Jones missed a second-half penalty that would have doubled their advantage.

Claire Rafferty took full advantage to level the scores four minutes later and the Susi and Sanderson late show sealed the points.

New Blues boss Peter Steward said: “We were not at the races at all.

"If eight of our players play well, we’ll win a game, but we were lucky to get three playing well in the first half.”

Steward admitted he was surprised the game went ahead after an afternoon of persistent, heavy rain, and his side seemed just as stunned as they failed to find their feet, literally and metaphorically.

When Chelsea’s unmarked Sophie Perry sent a far post header into the night sky 10 minutes in, Millwall took control.

The Blues’ Shelby Hills had a torrid time at centre-half and, when her poor header gave Dionne Lennon time to cross, Heatherson almost benefited from Siobhan Chamberlain’s indecision.

The Chelsea keeper then did well to palm Lennon’s drive past the post, before Emma Beckett’s thumping free-kick flew narrowly wide.

Heatherson was a constant threat, playing off the shoulder of the last defender and, when Stef Curtis gave the ball away, the ex-Charlton and Fulham striker headed straight at Chamberlain from Meghan McKeag’s cross.

Sanderson offered a brief respite for the Blues, when a deft touch and shot forced visiting keeper Claire Lacey into a rare save at the second attempt, but the inevitable Millwall goal came two minutes before the break.

Lindsey Morgan was sent away down the right and her far-post delivery gave Heatherson a simple side-footed finish from close range.

The match turned on an incident on 64 minutes. Chamberlain brought down Heatherson and, with no Chelsea defender behind her, could have easily seen red.

The referee opted for a yellow card and Chamberlain’s presence between the posts resulted in Jones sending her spotkick high into the stands.

The Blues took heart from the reprieve and equalised within minutes.

Skipper Casey Stoney took a quick free-kick and with the visitors’ defence caught napping, Rafferty slid the ball past Lacey.

Buet’s run and rasping 20-yarder then warmed Lacey’s hands as Chelsea pressed, and the Blues finally broke through with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Lennon was penalised for handball just outside the Milwall area and substitute Susi bundled the ball home from close range from the inswinging free-kick.

Millwall almost snatched a point moments after the restart, when Stoney cleared off the line following Chamberlain’s superb save from McKeag’s effort, but were left ruing the missed opportunity when Buet was brought down on the edge of the box in stoppage time.

Sanderson stepped up and blasted her free-kick through the defensive wall, leaving Lacey helpless.

Chelsea now face Sunderland on Sunday, and the Blues will be relishing the chance to get revenge for their FA Cup semi-final defeat last season.

“I won’t need to do a team talk against Sunderland,” said Steward. “That is probably the worst I have ever felt in the game of football. It’s payback time.”

Chelsea: Chamberlain, Perry, Rafferty, Stoney, Davies, Hills, Buet, Sanderson, Curtis, Pond, Whitter, (Susi 56).

Subs not used: Cooper, Kempson, Ling, Goodall.