FC United stormed through to the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Women’s Cup with a comprehensive 12-1 home win over BRNESC Ladies.
Although playing two levels below FC in the Liverpool & District Open Age League, British Rail North End Social Club Ladies - to afford them their full title - came into this game with a record that suggested they weren’t to be taken lightly. However, mirroring the Reds’ own experience against a higher level team at Fylde a few weeks ago, the gulf was all too apparent despite the visitors’ spirited approach and enthusiastic backing from the bench and from their followers in the Broadhurst Park main stand.
The pattern was set in only the second minute as FC United captain Kirsty Chambers received a ball down the inside-left channel and took it past a defender to score with a shot inside the far post. Chambers doubled her own and her team’s tally just a couple of minutes later by cashing in on apparent confusion between BRNESC keeper Olivia Cooke and team mate Rachel Foode to poke the loose ball in. And it would have been a hat-trick inside six minutes had Cooke not managed to push another Chambers effort away for a corner.
Although it had been an obviously shaky opening for the visitors’ keeper, Cooke went on to have a fine match not done any justice by the final score. However after making a fine save to turn a Kate O’Gara long range effort over the bar, the ball was in the back of her net again as, from the resulting corner, the ball fell for Anya Donelan in the goalmouth to poke it over the line.
A fourth goal for the home side followed despite Cooke’s best efforts again. First of all in saving from Ellie Rigby who burst into the right side of the area to shoot. The rebound saw the keeper block Chambers’ shot but the ball ran to Abby Hunt who scored via a deflection off a defender on the line.
BRNESC made their first foray into the FC half when Louise Rowan chased a ball downfield but was blocked by Caitlin Clancy - playing her first game on her return to the club - allowing keeper Chloe Ainsworth to claim the ball.
But the visitors’ respite didn’t last long. A loose ball in the BRNESC area saw Cooke save again as Rigby poked the ball towards goal. And moments later Rigby was given another chance when a straggling defender out wide played her onside down the middle to run clear onto an O’Gara pass and make it 5-0.
The Reds added three more before the break. Moments after a Hunt shot grazed the top of the crossbar, Corie Mather scored with a dipping shot from wide on the right.
Ella Hartley then found the net with a shot from distance placed well out of the keeper’s reach. And Chambers completed a first half hat-trick to make it 8-0 at the break, latching onto a Hartley pass down inside-left and finishing unerringly with a shot into the far corner.
However the visitors’ enthusiasm seemed undiminished and they struck first in the second half. A 53rd minute corner from the right was whipped into the goalmouth and Helen Brislen was first to it to turn it into the net. Although unlikely to have any bearing on the eventual outcome of the game, it clearly meant a lot to BRNESC to get on the scoresheet.
Within four minutes though, the home side reached double figures as Mather found the net with a shot from the right side of the area and then Chambers added her fourth of the game with a shot on the run from a similar spot, making it 10-1.
The next half hour saw a lull in the scoring through a combination of good goalkeeping and FC’s reliability in front of goal appearing to go slightly awry. BRNESC had a chance of a second goal when Ella Thwaites managed to get past Hunt into the area to bring a save out of Ainsworth and was then unable to control her shot on the rebound which flew wide.
FC United’s best efforts saw the keeper Cooke get down well to save a Rigby stooping header from a corner kick followed by Mather whipping a ball in following a run down the right that Olivia Smith not quite able to fully connect with a header on the run that glanced across goal.
Hartley was given time and space to line up a shot from outside the area to which Cooke produced a fine fingertip save, diving to her right. Shortly afterwards Cooke dropped to her knees to gather an O’Gara shot from the edge of the area. Rigby then rose to connect with a header to a right wing corner that Cooke reached up to grab.
The game had gone into injury time before FC finally extended their tally. Rigby turned a ball inside for O’Gara to score with a looping shot. Then almost straight from the kick off, Rigby herself scored with a header to a Mather cross from the right making the final score 12-1.
FC United Women return to league action this coming Sunday 31st October with the visit of Chorley FC. Kick off is 2pm at Broadhurst Park.
Report by Phil Bradbury
FC Player of the game: Ellie Rigby
Referee: Michal Kuczynski Assistants: Genaro Contursi & Charlie Miller
Stats - courtesy of Paul Hinson (FC United first)
Shots on target: 24-5
Shots off target: 16-4
Free kicks: 5-11
Corners: 8-1
Offsides: 6-0
Yellow Cards: 0-0
Red Cards: 0-0
Passes: 378-142
Possession: 73%-27%
