Fifth Round highlights included Manchester City winning after extra-time at Birmingham City and Sunderland needing a late brace to prevent Aston Villa pulling off a surprise victory.
Sunday 18th February
SSE WOMEN’S FA CUP 5TH ROUND
Arsenal 1-0 Millwall Lionesses
Cardiff City LFC 1-3 Charlton Athletic
Lewes 0-6 Everton (Att: 975)
Sunderland 3-2 Aston Villa
Chichester City 0-3 Liverpool (Att: 1,300)
Birmingham City 1-3 (aet) Manchester City (Att: 641)
Chelsea 6-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles (Att: 1,564)
Durham 5-2 Leicester City WFC (Att: 227)
Holders progress after extra-time
Georgia Stanway came off the bench to set Manchester City on the way to a 3-1 victory at Birmingham City.
Man City took the lead when Issy Christiansen’s free-kick was deflected into the path of Nadia Nadim, who netted from close range
Melissa Lawley saw her powerful effort tipped behind by Birmingham’s Katrin-Ann Berger before the hosts levelled on 3 minutes, Ellen White played clean through on goal and to round Ellie Roebuck and slot hom
Substitute Georgia Stanway fired Man City back in front 7 minutes into the added half-hour and Birmingham might have equalised again but Roebuck turned Charlie Wellings’ 25-yard shot onto the post.
Claire Emslie then wrapped it up at the end, with a curling effort into the top corner.
Sunderland fightback to foil Villa
Sunderland scored twice late on to overturn Aston Villa’s lead and prevent their visitors causing a cup shock.
Ebony Salmon brought an early save out of the Black Cats’ Anke Pruess but it was the home side who were one up in 5 minutes, as Victoria Williams tapped in from 6 yards.
The WSL 2 underdogs were level within 20 minutes though, Salmon breaking into the box to finish well and she completed a brace to give the Villains the lead approaching the hour mark.
Moments after Preuss prevented a Salmon hat-trick goal, Rachel Pitman brought the Black Cats back on level terms and then Lucy Staniforth’s pass played in Keira Ramshaw to smash home the hosts’ 84th-minute winner.
Chichester bow out to Liverpool
FAWPL Southern Division bowed out with a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, who completed the scoring early in the second half, watched by a crowd of 1,300.
There were chances at both end midway through the first half, as Jess Lewry forced an excellent save from Liverpool debutant Emily Ramsey and then Beth England was denied at point-blank range by Sadie Wilson-Blakely.
The Reds went in from on 34 minutes through Rinsola Babajide’s first goal for the club via a ball by Caroline Weir and Ashley Hodson doubled the lead before the break, scrambling the ball over the line from a yard out.
It was 3-0 just 2 minutes after the restart, England tucking the ball home after the ‘keeper parried Weir’s effort into her path.
Wildcats see off Foxes
Durham defeated a battling Leicester City WFC 5-2, with the Foxes having trailed the Wildcats just 3-2 at half-time.
Durham built a two-goal advantage in 25 minutes, with Abi Cottam’s cross turned in by Zoe Ness and Ellie Christon coolly finished into the bottom corner.
A three-goal rush in as many minutes before the break saw Leigh Dugmore halve the deficit, Cottam volley into the roof of the net and then Sophie Domingo get City’s second from close range.
The Wildcats restored their two goal cushion on 63 minutes, Ness playing in Cottam to lift the ball over the keeper.
Dugmore was denied at point blank range by Helen Alderson, as well as the post before Emily Roberts finished it at 5-2 from a cross by Ness, as the Wildcats made the last eight for the first time.
Channy nets first-half treble
Channy Boye-Hlorkah might have gone off injured by half-time but the Everton forward had already damaged Lewes by then with a hat-trick.
Danielle Turner had an effort ruled offside before picking out Boye-Hlorkah to converts at the second attempt just 8 minutes in.
Chloe Kelly fired home the second and then Boye-Hlorkah poked home Siri Worm’s cross from close range.
Kirstie Levell did well to keep out Vicky Carleton’s strike from range for the Rookettes but then Kelly intercepted a back-pass to set up Boye-Hlorkah for her third.
Turner fired home the fifth after 69 minutes and late on Megan Finnigan powered in a header from a corner.
Graham at the double in Charlton goal spree
Despite a much stronger second-half showing from Cardiff City Ladies, Charlton Athletic’s three goals in eight first-half minutes was too much to overcome.
Kit Graham ran across the edge of the area before drilling home an effort from 20 yards on 23 minutes and then struck again off a drilled cross from Olivia Lukasewich.
Charlotte Lee threaded the ball through for Charlotte Gurr to finishes from 6 yards, making it 3-0 on 32 minutes.
Laura Williams netted with a looping corner 9 minutes after the restart but the nearest Cardiff got to a second goal was Ffion Price’s shot against the bar.
Subs help Chelsea sail on
Chelsea ran riot in the second half to win 6-0, after going in just 1-0 up at the interval against Doncaster Rovers Belles.
Ji So-Yun needed two chances to beat goalkeeper Bethan Davies to score but Maran Mjelde volleyed against the Belles’ bar before Carly Telford had to make a double save to stop the visitors levelling.
Fran Kirby was teed up by Ji for the second goal on 50 minutes, with the South Korean next sending Drew Spence through to finish.
Eniola Aluko crossed for fellow sub Erin Cuthbert to bury with her head and then won a penalty which Ramona Bachmann converted, before Cuthbert turned in the box to net again.
Mead goal gets Gunners through
Beth Mead’s 32nd-minute effort was enough to see Arsenal progess to the quarter-finals at the expense of Millwall Lionesses.
Millwall keeper Sarah Quantrill had a busy time as the Gunners peppered her goal, although they had just the one success to show for it in the first 45, Mead getting away from her marker to thump the ball home.
A brave double save from Quantrill kept out two close range efforts from Mead and Heather O’Reilly and the Lionesses had a stoppage-time free kick but Ashlee Hincks shot over the top.
The quarter-final draw will be made from 8.10am on Monday, live on BBC Radio 1 Xtra.
Tickets for next season’s SSE Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley are now on sale.
