A woman footballer has been cleared of attacking another player in a bust-up during a cup match.

Lily-May Commins, 20, was alleged to have hit Manjinder Atwal, who ended up sitting on the pitch clutching her face.

But a jury at Luton crown court on Monday found Ms Commins, of Cockle Way, Shenley, not guilty of causing actual bodily harm during the match on September 29, 2013.

The court heard that Ms Commins was playing for Garston Ladies, who were losing 4-0 in an away match against Sherrardswood Ladies in Welwyn Garden City.

The home team were older and stronger than the Garston team.

Ms Commins, who now plays for Tottenham Ladies Reserves and said she is in her second year studying sport at Southgate College, told the court that she had been playing football since the age of five and had never been sent off or even booked before.

One of her teammates put in a tackle on Miss Atwal, which she described as a "bit of harsh".

She said Ms Atwal turned to the teammate who had made the tackle, saying: "Do it again and I will knock you out."

Ms Commins said she told the Sherrardswood player: "No you won't - you won't touch her."

With that she said Miss Atwal laughed and another Sherrardswood player nearby said: "They are just a bunch of little kids."

Ms Commins claimed she told Miss Atwal to leave her alone as she walked away, but said the Sherrardswood player continued to laugh at her and follow her up the pitch.

"I told her to leave me alone several times, but she was still following me," she told the court.

Ms Commins denied swearing at the other player or threatening her, adding: "I was quite shocked and I felt quite intimidated. We had just moved up into ladies' football. It was our third game and I wasn't used to playing against older women."

She said: "I said 'Leave me alone' again and she said: 'Why? What are you going to do about it?'"

Ms Commins said she thought the other player might hit her and told the court: "It was self defence, I punched her first."

Asked by her barrister Alan Walmsely where she had directed the punch, she replied "On her nose."