Wednesday’s Continental Tyres Cup action featured a Spurs win at top-flight Yeovil, while Arsenal were made to work hard for victory at Millwall and Sheffield FC exacted swift revenge against Durham.
Wednesday 1st November
FA WSL CONTINENTAL TYRES CUP
GROUP 1 NORTH – Sunderland 3-1 Aston Villa (Att: 228)
Sheffield FC 5-1 Durham (Att: 122)
GROUP 1 SOUTH – Millwall Lionesses 2-5 Arsenal (Att:451)
Reading 4-0 Watford (Att: 211)
GROUP 2 SOUTH – Brighton & Hove Albion 0-3 Chelsea (Att: 364)
Yeovil Town 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Att: 283)
Wiltshire returns to haunt Somerset side
Having already beaten Bristol City in their group, Spurs came from behind to win 2-1 at Yeovil.
Sarah Wiltshire had an early effort disallowed after Coral-Jade Haines hit the bar but the former Glover would later play an important part in seeing Tottenham defeat her former club.
However, it was Yeovil who scored first, Gemma Evans netting at the second attempt, after Hannah Mackenzie had initially headed her free-kick clear.
On 63 minutes, Lucia Leon slipped the ball through to Wiltshire to lob Beth Howard and in added time, Ronnell Humes went clear to also lift the ball over the home keeper.
Johnson hat-trick gives Sheffield FC swift revenge
Although Sheffield FC had lost 4-0 at home to Durham in the league just three days earlier, the hosts stunned the Wildcats with a 5-1 Conti Cup win.
Danielle Cox headed them into an early lead from a corner and Mel Johnson got the second, with the start of a rush of three goals in a five-minute spell.
Jordan Atkinson halved the arrears, only for Johnson to slot home on 29 minutes to make it 3-1.
Helen Alderson saw her punch returned with interest by Holly Housley for 4-1 by the break, with Johnson completing her hat-trick from distance midway through the second half.
Gunners find extra gear
Arsenal made it two wins from two after eventually overcoming Millwall with three late goals, the Lionesses having earlier levelled twice.
Beth Mead scored the opener on from 25 yards but when Anna Moorhouse fumbled Bonnie Horwood’s set-piece, Ellie Mason scrambled the ball over the line.
Mason struck a post before Jordan Nobbs scored directly from a corner to put the Gunners ahead at the break but Ella Rutherford equalised on 69 minutes from outside the box.
Nobbs netted with a free-kick and to make sure of holding the lead this time, Danielle Carter turned in Heather O’Reilly’s cut-back, before Lauren James converted a penalty won by Mead.
Staniforth double secures Sunderland win
Midfielder Lucy Staniforth scored in either half as the Black Cats beat Aston Villa 3-1 to lead their group.
Kasia Lipka forced Sian Rogers to tip over the top on 27 minutes but Staniforth found the net moments later from wide on the right.
Half an hour later and Staniforth was at it again, turning on the edge of the area before firing into the bottom corner.
It was 3-0 with a dozen minutes to go, as Dominique Bruinenberg found the top corner from the edge of the box.
Villa got a late consolation, as a defensive slip allowed Ashlee Brown to lift the ball into the net.
Chelsea seal south coast success
Chelsea began their cup fixtures with a 3-0 win at Brighton, that was sealed with two goals in the last quarter of an hour
After Brighton’s early pressure, it was the visitors who took the lead as Ji So-Yun’s deep cross fell to Fran Kirby who volleyed the ball home.
Second-half substitute Crystal Dunn then rifled a fierce strike off the underside of the bar, as the visitors finally doubled their lead.
Ini Umotong was denied a goal back for Albion when Hedvig Lindahl turned her effort away, before Ji So-Yun hit a half-volley home in stoppage time.
Timely goals get Reading off on the right foot
Reading kicked off their Conti Cup ties with a 4-0 defeat of Watford at Adams Park.
The Royals scored early and late in the first half, as a Lauren Bruton pass was finished off by Fara Williams, who turned provider for Molly Bartrip to head home at the back post.
Kirsty Linnett was denied by the offside flag before making it 3-0 on 67 minutes, a Rachel Furness header dropped onto the bar but Brooke Chaplen bundled home the fourth.
There are two more ties in Group 2 North tonight:
Everton v Birmingham City (Select Security Stadium, 7pm)
Oxford United v Manchester City (Oxford City FC, 7.45)
