By Tony Leighton

Julie Fleeting's goal put Arsenal on level terms on aggregate

A fine second-leg comeback against Rayo Vallecano put Arsenal into the Women's Champions League quarter-finals but only after a tense finale.

With Arsenal 2-0 down from the first leg, goals by Rachel Yankey, Julie Fleeting and Ciara Grant put them 3-0 up at a storm-lashed Borehamwood.

Adriana scored for Rayo five minutes before Gill Flaherty was sent off.

Rayo were set to go through on away goals until Katie Chapman's stoppage-time header gave the Gunners a 4-1 win.

A relieved Arsenal manager Laura Harvey said: "I'm over the moon about going through, but that was an emotional rollercoaster!

"The girls responded really well to the disappointment of the first leg and they were magnificent today apart from those few minutes when we almost let it slip away.

"When Rayo pulled it back to 3-1 and then Gilly got sent off I thought to myself, 'that's it, we're out'.

"But we did brilliantly when we went down to 10 players and it was fantastic to see the fourth goal go in - and even more fantastic to hear the final whistle!"

Harvey's team had made a fine start, left-winger Yankey putting them ahead with a curling shot after just 11 minutes.

Further first-half pressure did not translate to additional goals, but two arrived in quick succession after the interval.

Substitute Fleeting, with her first touch of the ball, scored from close range after striker Kim Little's 61st-minute shot had been blocked.

And seven minutes later defender Grant headed home from a Little corner to give the Gunners an aggregate lead for the first time in the tie.

Panic set in, however, after striker Adriana had coolly rounded goalkeeper Emma Byrne to put the Spaniards level on aggregate and poised for victory.

Defender Flaherty was given her marching orders for a needless foul on Ana Mingorance and suddenly the odds were stacked in Rayo's favour.

But the 10 Gunners produced one final burst of pressure and Chapman headed the all-important goal from Little's cleverly flighted free-kick.

The aggregate win kept alive Arsenal's proud record of having reached at least the quarter-finals in every European campaign they have fought.

The draw for what will be their ninth appearance in the last eight is made on 19 November.

Harvey said: "Whoever we get will be tough, but with the final set for London we are determined to progress."

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