Norwich City were the Premier League casualty of Sunday’s County Cup ties, beaten 2-1 away in the Norfolk Cup at Kings Lynn Town, who play two levels lower in the Eastern Division 1 North.
Becky Russell scored early on and Tiffany Forshaw doubled the lead on 73 minutes, as the table-topping Linnets defeated the Canaries.
City had Grace Parker sent off and although Vivian Moyo halved the deficit with 5 minutes left, it was too little, too late for the remaining ten players.
Lower Hopton scare Leeds with goal-spree
Perhaps the best performance by an underdog elsewhere was at Lower Hopton, the West Riding Division 2 leaders bowing out of the West Riding Cup 2nd Round, with a 5-3 defeat by a Leeds United side from five steps up the pyramid.
Dani Anthony, Eve Hattrell and Bethany Ellis all scored in a 12-minute second-half spell to give their Premier League visitors a fright.
Vixens victorious with nine
In the same competition, Harrogate Town kept Guiseley Vixens to a two-goal winning margin, even though they play three divisions beneath them.
Nikki Berko added to her first-half effort by completing a brace 2 minutes after the interval, putting her side through to the quarter-finals.
But the Vixens were down to nine players by the finish, Lauren Griffiths sent off with 20 minutes left after ‘a heated exchange with the referee’ and then Emily Scott lost to injury with all three subs having been made.
There were a handful of teams who put on a good show against opponents from two divisions higher…
Fulham had lost eight of their ten games in the London & South East League but only went out of the Capital Senior Cup quarter-finals with a single-goal defeat by Queens Park Rangers. Dominika Netschova’s strike midway through the second period proved the winner at Motspur Park.
West Midlands joint league leaders Crusaders restricted West Bromwich Albion to a 3-1 win in the Birmingham Cup 2nd Round. Lucy Finch’s opener was cancelled out when Rachael Dyson hit a 35-yard looping free-kick in for Crusaders but a Hattie James brace saw the Baggies through.
In the Gloucestershire Cup 2nd Round, St Nicholas had to battle their way to a 6-3 victory at Oldland Abbotonians, who are without a win in the South West League Eastern Division.
One division separates them, as did just one goal, as South West League side Forest Green Rovers were edged out 1-0 by Cheltenham Town, in the Gloucestershire Cup at Whaddon Road.
Ella Hitchcox’s 17th-minute follow-up from hitting the post was enough but Rovers were denied three times by the woodwork in the first half. Annie Martin earlier struck the post, Jess Phillips’ shot was turned onto the bar by Bec Panniers and Ashleigh Watson hit the upright from a tight angle 2 minutes later.
