The Belles suffered late heartbreak in the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Senior Cup final after a valiant performance against higher league Huddersfield Town.
A superb second half showing saw the Belles twice come from behind only for the Terriers to strike at the death to claim the trophy.
A hat trick from the lively Yasmin Mason proved to be the difference on the afternoon, with the Belles netting through Hannah McWilliams and substitute Phoebe Sneddon.
It was a difficult first half for the Belles with National League North side Huddersfield in control of proceedings.
But a much-improved performance after the break saw the balance of the game shift, with the Belles ultimately unfortunate not to at least take the game to penalties.
Mason called Belles keeper Ellie Sharpe into action twice in the early stages.
And the Terriers’ forward took advantage of good early pressure after 17 minutes when she fired in from distance to put them ahead - Mason picking the ball up in space and assessing her options before finding the top corner.
The Belles rallied - not phased by a promising start from a higher division opponent - and could have levelled on the half hour when Jasmine Saxton headed narrowly over from Arianne Parnham’s cross.
Jess Tugby-Andrew went close from a free kick shortly after, as the Belles continued to grow into the game before half time.
Parnham enjoyed great success down the right hand side for the Belles all afternoon, and came close shortly after half time when her cross-cum-shot had to be clawed away by goalkeeper Hazelton.
The Belles were keen to avoid a repeat of last year’s narrow defeat to the Terriers, and got their deserved equaliser when McWilliams rifled the ball into the net from just inside the box, with Saxton turning provider.
It was Huddersfield’s turn to respond, and Sharpe was needed again to keep out defender Bethany Ibbotson’s free kick at the second attempt.
The Terriers retook the lead shortly after, however, when Mason headed home an excellent cross from the right to restore the advantage with 20 minutes to play.
Substitute Megumi Shenton provided a much-needed creative spark for Ciaran Toner’s side, and the American came close to drawing the Belles level when her chested down shot went straight down the throat of ‘keeper Hazelton.
And the Belles found their equaliser with five minutes to play, with Shenton once again playing a key role as her ball fell perfectly into the path of Sneddon - the substitute picking out the far corner perfectly.
With the game seemingly headed for penalties, the Belles pushed for a late winner - and almost found it when Sneddon recovered a corner and got a shot away, this time denied by the Terriers’ stopper.
But it was to be Huddersfield who would cause all the late drama, as Mason won the ball back in the final third and produced a composed finish deep into stoppage time to secure her hat trick.
Stunned, the Belles had little time to respond, and the Terriers were able to hold on for their third straight County Cup victory.
Belles: Sharpe, Yates, Rattenbury, J Tugby-Andrew, Housley, L Tugby-Andrew, Parnham, Abadi (Chitengu 83), Gigg (Shenton 46), McWilliams (Sneddon 67), Saxton. Subs not used: Morris, Banaszczyk.
