Women’s FA Cup – 1st Round
Team: Francis-Pownall, Petit (Maloney), Searle, Carolan, Grieve, Lewin, Pope, Hennessy (Blodgett), Moore, Hall, Curr(Nygaard-Parsons),
Subs Not Used: White, Jordinson
The R’s had reached the 1st round of the FA Cup after knocking out Caversham United in a preliminary tie last month.
16-year-old Mya Francis-Pownall made a further appearance in goal and Lucie White sat on the bench.
On an overcast afternoon at the Powerday Stadium, prior to kick-off both sides lined up ahead of the minute’s silence in memory of the fallen.
Looking suspiciously like offside, the visitors then won a corner, but it came to nothing.
On 8 minutes it was the R’s who took the lead. A good ball from the left picked out Alice Curr who then did the rest.
QPR doubled their lead just two minutes later. Laura Hennessy’s corner was sort of heeled/side-footed into the back of the net by Vicky Grieve.
Ellie Searle bombed down the left-wing and her ball into the box found Mel Hall, which resulted in the keeper smothering the ball.
Rangers were controlling the game and looking for a third goal. Mel Hall’s finish from close range came on 35 minutes after a good move from midfield. Half-time: 3-0.
Into the second-half and the R’s soon added a fourth goal. Mel Hall’s superb dissecting ball set-up the on-running Ellie Searle who picked her spot.
Three minutes later, a lovely ball found Alice Curr and the R’s striker made no mistake with her finish.
On 55 minutes, Mel Hall was clearly tripped in the box and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot. I expected Hall to blast her kick, but she decided to place it to the keeper’s right.
The seventh goal arrived around the hour mark. Hall squared the ball to an unmarked Curr who shot wide of the keeper.
Steve Quashie then made three changes by bringing on Danielle Maloney, Jo Blodgett and Emilia Nygaard-Parsons to replace Kasha Petit, Laura Hennessy and Alice Currrespectively.
After beating a defender, Mel Hall was fouled just outside the box. Brogan Moore’s free kick from the ‘D’ dipped late as it spectacularly hit the corner of the net.
Goal number nine came after an excellent passing move which found Ellie Searle. She flew down the left-wing and squared the ball to Mel Hall to notch up her hat-trick.
Hall then got a fourth goal on 77 minutes when she hooked the ball into the roof of the net for her side’s tenth of the afternoon.
Nygaard-Parsons cut in from the right and her effort hit the crossbar. She then got one-on-one with the Bromley keeper, but she managed to just clear the ball in time.
Brogan Moore completed the scoring after 84 minutes.
Steve Russell