Leyton Orient Women edged through to the next round of the FA Women’s National League Cup after a pulsating 4-3 extra-time win against Cambridge United on Sunday.

Michelle Young and Ellie Stenning netted alongside a brace for Otesha Charles for the O’s at the Mile End Stadium.

A fast start from the visitors saw Kelley Blanchflower beat the offside trap and she slotted home with only nine minutes on the clock.

However, the O’s were back on terms within 10 minutes as Lisa Holmback played in Charles, and she powered an effort into the roof of the net to level it up.

As they had in the opening period, Cambridge started the second half strongly and they regained the lead when Faith Hewitt scrambled home from a corner.

It took just three minutes to find a response though as Young’s sweetly-struck half-volley flew past the goalkeeper to make it 2-2.

Orient then took the lead for the first time when Jasmine Auguste slid in Charles down the right and she kept her cool in front of goal to convert her second goal of the day.

It looked as though the O’s would hold their lead until the end as the game entered stoppage time, but Cambridge struck a last-gasp equaliser when Mollie Cougar beat Ogunde to take the game to extra time.

Unfazed by the prospect though, Orient looked the more likely to win it in the additional period, and they did so when Rebecca Hirst’s corner was powered in by Stenning to cue wild celebrations and send them through to the next round of the competition.