Woodley United progressed to the First Qualifying round of the Vitality FA Women’s cup for only the second time in their history following Sunday’s home victory against Milton United.
Despite the score line, Woodley were good value for the win and had it not been for fine goalkeeping by the visitors’ Vanessa Taylor the hosts would have led by more than 3-1 at half time.
Milton started the game and were immediately on the back foot with Michelle Quinn failing to connect with a cross after three minutes before Maddie Sawyer opened the scoring in the sixth minute when she lobbed the advancing Taylor.
Taylor blocked Rosie Page-Smith when one on one on the quarter hour mark and when Freya Jenkins fired the loose ball goalwards, Taylor pushed it away for a corner kick that resulted in Jenkins firing wide.
Sawyer was denied by the visitor’s keeper in the 17th minute which was followed by a Milton counter attack that resulted in a corner kick from which the ball was header over the cross bar for a goal kick.
Woodley’s pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Jenkins fired into the far right corner to double the lead following a one-two with Page-Smith.
Nicole Haines was called on to concede a corner that saw the resulting shot skim the home cross bar before going out of play as Milton started to push forward, but Woodley’s third came in the 38th minute when Sawyer received the ball from a throw in, turned and scored off the inside of the right post.
As the first half neared an end Holly Wilkins cleared a Haines save for a corner which Milton scored from when Mollie Dyer fired home unchallenged.
Woodley started the second half positively with Page-Smith heading an Ellen Surtees corner over the cross bar. Haines was required to make a full length save from Dyer and then flick a shot over her bar.
From another Surtees corner Charlotte Crook saw her header saved by Taylor but Woodley scored their fourth in the 71st minute when Page-Smith was first to Jenkins’ cross to head the ball downwards before scrambling it over the goal line.
The match then saw three goals in as many minutes when Dyer scored her second from distance.
Woodley kicked off and played the ball to Wilkins whose cross was parried by Taylor where Page-Smith reacted quickest to restore the hosts three goal lead.
But immediately Milton scored through Sara Comley in the 79th minute to complete the scoring and see Woodley advance to the next round on Sunday, October 4.
Woodley United: N Haines, M Haines, Wilkins, Sawyer, Gooch, Surtees, Poole (Scott), Crook, Page-Smith, Quinn (Pearson), Jenkins (Lambourne) Subs unused: Lemos, Bendall, Cooke
