Fulham reached the First Round Proper of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup after getting past fourth-tier Maidenhead at Motspur Park.
The away side took an early lead when Natalie Cowell pounced, but one-way traffic from Fulham followed.
Madi Parsonson was on hand to level the scores before the break, and the midfielder stepped up to score the winning spot-kick.
The home side threatened early as Georgia Heasman sent a teasing ball into the box, but there was no-one in the middle to capitalise.
Instead, it was the opposition who took the lead inside ten minutes, as Cowell superbly lofted the ball over goalkeeper Frankie Gibbs.
There was an instant response from Fulham as Danni Hull had to be alert between the sticks to prevent the ball ricocheting off a Magpies defender from Parsonson’s corner.
And Steve Jaye’s side came close again to an equaliser when Heasman nipped in to steal the ball at the back, but she could only fire into the side netting from a tight angle.
The hosts were handed a good opportunity with a free-kick on the edge of the box, but Megalie Mendes couldn’t get enough dip on her effort, which floated harmlessly over the bar.
The chances kept coming and as the game approached the half-hour mark, it took last-ditch blocks from the Magpies defence to deny Heasman and then Parsonson after Isabel Taylor-Makepeace’s centre.
Tia Foreman was next to try her luck as the ball fell to her from 25 yards out, but her ferocious drive cleared the crossbar.
A rare foray forward from Maidenhead saw Katie Akerman try and catch Gibbs out from distance, but the strike rolled harmlessly wide.
And Fulham were deservedly level just before the break as a sublime low cross from Taylor Makepeace was left by Heasman for Parsonson to sweep home at the far post.
Taylor Makepeace worked her magic again on the left, turning her defender inside out and sending in another dangerous ball, but this time Heasman’s first-time effort was blocked.
Stella Gandee Morgan almost produced a goal worthy of turning the game around moments before half-time when she looked to curl into the far corner from 30 yards out, but goalkeeper Hull was equal to it.
The Whites didn’t let up after the break as Taylor Makepeace ran clear and forced Hull to save with an outstretched leg, while Ella Tagliavini became the latest to have a go from distance, sending a powerful shot just off target.
A neat passing move in the final third gave Gandee Morgan the chance to shoot from the edge of the box, but the low effort was gathered by Hull and Maidenhead survived once more.
Two substitutes introduced on 60 minutes combined to put Fulham within inches of taking the lead when Ellie Olds found Sophie Manzi in the middle, and the forward’s deft touch sent the ball whistling past the post.
Hull remained busy, claiming a corner kick that was headed back across goal and getting down low to keep out Betty Barron-Clark’s shot seconds later.
Olds continued to cause mayhem, twice finding herself unmarked on the six-yard line, but she was unable to find the back of the net on either occasion.
The home side were denied a last-gasp winner when Olds tried to poke home, but a combination of post, defender and goalkeeper kept the ball out, and took the tie to penalties.
After successful spot-kicks from Maidenhead’s Raissa Jauad-Taborda and Natasha Rasmussen, and Fulham’s Manzi and Mendes, Amy Saunders fired wide for the Magpies and Gandee Morgan put the pressure on.
Gibbs palmed away Cowell’s effort, giving Parsonson the chance to smash home the winning pen and seal Fulham’s progression.
