Sunday April 3rd
SSE FA WOMEN’S CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Manchester City 2-0 Sporting Club Albion (Att: 1,270)
Sunderland 3-0 Reading (Att: 407)
Chelsea 6-0 Aston Villa (Att: 1,147)
Arsenal 2-2 Notts County (aet, Arsenal won 3-2 on penalties)
Arsenal 2-2 Notts County (aet, Arsenal won 3-2 on penalties)
Jess Clarke hit the bar in the 16th minute for Notts County and Ellen White was unable to turn the rebound home. Arsenal were ahead 5 minutes later, Kelly Smith taking down Alex Scott’s cross before firing into the far corner.
The visitors were quickly back on level terms, Danielle Buet’s delivery headed in by Sophie Bradley-Auckland. The scorer was soon clearing off her own line to protect the lead and on 33 minutes another Buet ball saw White win the header and Aivi Luik force it over the line.
A Clarke effort was kept out spectularly by Sari Van Veenendaal after the restart and White was given a red card after picking up a second booking when deemed to have kicked the ball away.
Natalia Pablos headed in the equaliser with 9 minutes to go and Asisat Oshoala nearly won it but Carly Telford tipped the effort over the bar.
In extra time, Oshoala had her head in her hands after shotting wide from Natalia’s cut-back and in the second period, Fara Williams saw her header cleared off the County line and a Katie McCabe shot shaved Telford’s far post.
When it came to a shoot-out, Van Veenendaal saved three times, Telford stopped two, including turning Danielle Carter’s strike onto the bar to force sudden death. After Luik’s shot was saved, McCabe found the top corner to send the Gunners through.
Manchester City 2-0 Sporting Club Albion
Sporting Club Albion finally bowed out of the Cup but only after a battling performance saw them restrict might Manchester City to a two-goal winning margin.
Man City were ahead after only 7 minutes but with some good fortune, as an attempted clearance deflected in off Nikita Parris.
It was 2-0 midway through the half when Parris’s effort was well-saved but Jane Ross was on hand to bag the rebound.
Parris was involved again when forcing Leigh Dugmore into a clearance off the line and a great save by Thomas deny Steph Houghton a goal from a free-kick.
Trina Greaves was close to pulling a goal back 10 minutes from time but her speculative shot from 25 yards rattled the upright.
Sunderland 3-0 Reading
Sunderland’s Rachel Laws had to tip Carla Ward’s overhead kick over the bar early on and the hosts then went in front 10 minutes before the break as Krystle Johnston’s low ball across the face of goal found Beth Mead who tapped it home.
It was 2-0 on 40 minutes when Sophie Williams met a free kick at the near post and turned it in.
Lauren Bruton had an effort deflected over for the Royals after the break, as they tried to get back into the game.
Mead had the ball in the net in added time but was flagged offside, however she still found time to set up Brooke Chaplen to turn in the third goal.
Chelsea 6-0 Aston Villa
Holders Chelsea hit Aston Villa for six but it wasn’t until into the last quarter that they took full control.
However, Ji So-Yun twice hit the woodwork and Karen Carney once before Fran Kirby’s pass was flicked past her marker by Drew Spence and thumped home on 42 minutes.
Ji doubled Chelsea’s advantage, finishing from close range after meeting Kirby’s cutback. Kirby then netted herself from Gemma Davison’s pass.
Spence played Ji through for her second of the game and Eniola Aluko chipped in the fifth. Ji then rounded off the win and her hat-trick with a thunderous strike.
Pictured – Arsenal keeper Sari Van Veenendaal is mobbed by her team-mates after three penalty saves. (Image – tgsphoto.co.uk)
