Reading had to battle to the last to defeat Manchester United, Chelsea and West Ham had narrow wins at Durham and Aston Villa respectively, while Manchester City eliminated Liverpool.
SSE Women’s FA Cup Quarter-Finals (17 March)
Reading 3-2 (aet) Manchester United (Att: 951)
Aston Villa 0-1 West Ham United (Att: 609)
Durham 0-1 Chelsea (Att: 1,629)
Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool (Att: 1,366)
Rakel rescues Royals
Reading had to come from behind twice before seeing off Manchester United with a last-gasp extra-time goal by Rakel Hönnudóttir.
Leah Galton headed straight at goalkeeper Grace Moloney early on, the Royals responding later from a Fara Williams free-kick was met by Rachel Furness but Siobhan Chamberlain turned it out for a corner.
Another header went close when Amy Turner glanced Alex Greenwood’s corner wide for the visitors, after which both Williams and Jade Moore had efforts blocked, while Bruton’s surging run ended with a shot off target.
After the break, Brooke Chaplen saw her shot cleared off the line by Turner, a looping header from Moore hit the bar and Chamberlain tipped wide another Chaplen effort.
Eight minutes into extra-time and just after a disallowed Lauren James goal, Maz Pacheco brought down the same player in the penalty area and Greenwood buried the spot-kick.
However, only a couple of minutes later and Furness delivered a deep cross which Remi Allen headed back across the keeper and into the net.
United retook the lead through a Natasha Harding own-goal off a Jess Sigsworth cross on 106 minutes only for Furness to immediately reply from Allen’s knockdown.
Williams netted direct from a corner but the referee spotted an infringement, Greenwood’s free kick brought a fine stop from Moloney before Royals’ substitute Rakel Hönnudóttir bundled in a last-minute winner after Chamberlain failed to hold another Williams set-piece.
Holders net narrow win over Wildcats
Ji So-yun’s first-half goal gave Chelsea victory at Durham but the lower division hosts – backed by their record crowd – were desperately close to equalising in the last minute.
The Wildcats went very close as Lisa Robertson’s free-kick came back off the crossbar and Sarah Robson nodded the rebound narrowly wide.
Home goalkeeper Hannad Reid came out to claim the ball at Beth England’s feet but moments later in the 29th minute, Erin Cuthbert’s cross to the far post was turned in by Ji.
Durham survived some Chelsea pressure as neither Fran Kirby nor Ramona Bachmann could finish in a goalmouth scramble, the resulting corner seeing Cuthbert hit the post with England unable to convert the follow-up, before Kathryn Hill blocked a drive from Cuthbert at the back post.
Nicki Gears put a ball across the visitors’ goalmouth which no-one could get a touch on, Bachmann later hit the post at the other end before on 90 minutes Zoe Ness beat Carly Telford only to see her shot hacked off the line.
Super-sub Stanway seals City progress
Georgia Stanway added a brace to Janine Beckie’s opener to give Manchester City a 3-0 win over Liverpool.
Manchester City might have had a goal in the first minute after Nikita Parris dispossessed a defender but her pass was put wide by Janine Beckie.
Good defensive work at either end saw a well-timed Leighanne Robe tackle prevent a Parris effort on goal, Jen Beattie then sliding in to deny Liverpool a great chance.
The Reds forced Steph Houghton into two important clearances twice in quick succession and shortly afterwards on 25 minutes Beckie rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
Beattie’s last ditch tackle to stop Rinsola Babajide who later had a shot tipped around the post by Karen Bardsley.
Georgia Stanway came off the bench to immediate effect midway through the second half, tucking the ball away from a Parris pass.
Liverpool’s Leandra Little nodded a header narrowly wide from Jemma Purfield’s ball but Stanway doubled her tally 2 minutes from time to seal City’s semi-final berth.
Ross knocks Hammers into semis
Jane Ross got the only goal of the game as West Ham won away at FA Women’s Championship side Aston Villa.
Aston Villa began strongly against top flight West Ham as Jade Richards sent Jodie Hutton away to hit the post and claims for a penalty when Sophie Haywood went down under a challenge in the box were waved away.
Alisha Lehmann nodded a cross by Cho So-hyun just wide but on 26 minutes Sian Rogers made a great save from Leanne Kiernan and the rebound fell for Jane Ross to finish.
The hosts were not deterred though with Hutton’s cross just evading Haywood at the far post, Amy West’s corner striking the bar and Nadine Hanssen’s close-range effort only going into the arms of Anna Moorhouse.
Lehmann smacked a shot against the post in the last quarter of the match, while a Villa set-piece was missed by the Hammers ‘keeper but Tanisha Smith could not quite connect with the loose ball in front of an empty net.
💔 ‘My heart’s broken for them.’
An emotional @GemDav6 couldn’t have been prouder of her side’s performance in today’s @SSEWomensFACup quarter final.#PartOfThePride #UTV #AVFC pic.twitter.com/ZzeqtR8Smv
— Aston Villa Ladies (@AVLFCOfficial) March 17, 2019
The Semi-Final draw will be broadcast live on BBC Breakfast (BBC One & BBC iPlayer) from 8.30am on Monday 18 March.
