FA Cup First Round

 

Whilst wor lasses took a huge step towards topping the Championship for the first time this season with a superb 0-2 away win at league leaders Birmingham yesterday, elsewhere the FA Cup got underway with 116 teams competing in the first round proper. 

Can't really start anywhere else other than the Vestacare Stadium, Oldham where Tier 5's Mancunian Unity played host to Tier 4's Stockport County, Cheshire FA County Cup and Women's Super Cup reigning champions. 

Great start to the match for Unity #10 Liv Shaw. Opened the scoring after 7 minutes, stretching to meet a low cross into the box, doubled her tally for the day on 16 minutes with a tap in making it 2-0 then won a penalty on 30 minutes which was converted by #5 Isa Melicio to give Unity a 3 goal lead. Not quite done for the first half, #4 Millie Jardine adding a 4th and 5th in the 45th and 45+3 minutes to send Unity into half time 5-0 ahead. 

6th goal for Unity came 10 minutes into the second half courtesy of #24 Celeste Gordon, consolation goals for Stockport in the 59 and 65th minute weren't enough to prevent Unity progressing to the FA Cup 2nd round for the first time in their history. I couldn't be happier for everyone involved at that club. If they can get past Tier 6 Handsworth in the second round I'd love it if we could draw them in the cup again. Best of luck Unity. 

Staying in Greater Manchester, Tier 4 league leaders Middlesbrough looked to extend their unbeaten season away to Tier 5's Wythenshawe. Joining Laura Wareham, Ellen Turnbull, Lauren Robson, Leanna Giles, Sharna Wilkinson, Millie Bell, Sarah Burn (C) and Grace Boyes was Becky Ferguson, on loan to Boro from the NUW Devs and on the bench for her first match.

Early chances for the hosts before a potentially pivotal moment in the match, a Wythenshawe defender seeing red following a second yellow card only 16 minutes into the match! The subsequent free kick was hit wide of the post by Wilkinson.

Boro went ahead through Lauren Robson, scoring her 8th goal in all competitions this season in the 34th minute. Ellen Turnbull broke through a couple of tackle's before finding Robson in the box and she made no mistake with her finish. Turnbull and Robson have been quite the partnership this season. 

Two important headers from Millie Bell early in the second half to keep Boro ahead, one preventing a Wythenshawe corner going straight in (everyone wants in on the act since Beth Lumsden's derby day winner, Chelsea tried the same against Spurs in the WSL a couple of weeks back) and another to break up a Wythenshawe attack. 

Ferguson came off the bench for her debut in he 58th minute and two minutes later Boro were 2-0 up. Picking the ball up in midfield,Ferguson played a lovely diagonal ball from around 25 yards out which found Ellen Turnbull in acres of space on the right side of the box. After calmly taking it round the keeper Turnbull rolled the ball into an empty net for a 0-2 lead.

18 minutes later, Boro were 0-3 up and the tie was over. A second assist in a great debut for Ferguson, after finding Turnbull in the penalty area Ferguson was on the end of a squared ball by Turnbull only to be tackled as she was shooting which left a tap in for Turnbull's 8th of the season in all competitions. A debut goal wasn't quite to be, Ferguson hitting the bar in the 90th minute. 

Boro travel to Tier 3's Hull City in the second round on 24th November, a week before their huge clash with Bridget Galloway's Nottingham Forest in the FAWNL Cup. 

Speaking of Bridget, last season's NUW leading scorer was on the bench as Forest travelled to Boldmere St. Michaels from Tier 4. Galloway came on in the 78th minute although Forest were 1-3 up at that point and the tie was all but over. Forest take on Long Itchington (away) from Tier 6 in a match they will be heavy favourites for, again, the weekend before travelling to Boro for the highly anticipated FAWNL Cup Quarter Final.

No Daisy Burt in the Derby County squad taking on Leafield Athletic, currently second in Division One Midlands (Tier 4). In somewhat of an upset, Tier 4 Leafield Athletic ended Tier 3 Derby County's cup run with a 1-3 win. Leafield take on Andy Cook's Norwich in the second round.

Erin Nelson returned to the Stoke City starting 11 as they comfortably despatched Tier 6 Hednesford Town 5-0, that's 7 consecutive wins now for Stoke which followed by 2 draws.  Almost a first goal this season for Erin. They haven't lost since a 1-5 defeat to Burnley on 1st September and play bottom of the league Halifax this weekend. Loughborough Lightning travel to Stoke in the second round. 

And, finally, Durham Cestria played host to local rivals Norton & Stockton Ancients. Great news that Anna Soulsby has now had her ACL surgery, speedy recovery Anna hopefully you are back on the pitch soon.

Quick start for Cestria, Daisy Clarke putting them ahead after only 4 minutes, Clarke's 4th goal in her first season in open age football. Quarter of an hour later, Nicki Gears opened her account for the season, tapping home after Erin Nicholson and goal scorer Daisy Clarke combined to put a ball into the box. 

Two minutes later, Gears turns provider playing Nicholson in behind the Norton defence, she rounded the Norton keeper and hit the back of the net. And 15 minutes later, a second for Nicholson wrapped things up, a shot from outside the box also giving Erin her 4th of the season and securing Cestria's place in the second round draw which produced a home tie against Chester-Le-Street.

Other notable results:
FC St. Helens Women 2-1 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Knowle LFC 1 - 7 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Ipswich Town LFC 12 - 0 MK Dons FC Women
Burnley FC Women 12 - 0 Spennymoor Town Ladies FC
Thornaby FC Ladies 2 - 7 Liverpool Feds LFC
South Shields LFC 3 - 3 Halifax FC Women (South Shields win 4-3 on penalties)
Rugby Borough Women FC 7 - 0 Lincoln City Women FC
Hashtag United FC Women 6 - 0 Wroxham Women FC