Women's Team

Albion Women 8-2 Lye Town

Liv Rabjohn in action, in home colours.

Albion Women got their FA Cup campaign off to a flying start, as they fired eight past Lye Town to secure an 8-2 victory in the first round.

The game got off to the worst possible start for the Baggies, as the visitors opened the scoring within the first minute.

A long ball over the top of the defence got the better of the Albion defenders and Sian Johnson made no mistake when clean through on goal to slot into the bottom corner.

Phoebe Warner almost pegged back the visitors within the first ten minutes, but her low strike was well saved after some neat build-up in the Lye half.

The hosts began to put more pressure on the Lye goal, and it was young defender Lucy Newell who was next to go closest to levelling, first forcing a smart save with one header, before nodding a second opportunity just wide.

The hosts eventually made the pressure tell just ahead of the half hour, with Warner slotting home to draw the game level.

The visitors almost regained their advantage with a swift counter attack head of half time, but the Baggies had the frame of the goal to thank after a strike from distance cannoned off the cross bar and clear.

The woodwork was rattled at the other end just ahead of the break, with Warner's chipped effort dipping just too late to give Albion the lead.

Lye got the second half going in a similar vein to the first, finding the back of the net with an audacious strike from the left flank to stun the hosts.

But Albion responded in kind, with Delphi Cole latching onto a forward ball before cutting in and curling home to draw the scores level.

Then it was Albion’s turn to take the lead through Mariam Mahmood, who beat the offside trap before slotting home.

The Baggies should have provided a cushion with two guilt-edged chances ahead of the hour mark first and through Warner and then Mahmood who each failed to beat the goalkeeper when in on goal.

Albion’s pressure told in the 68th minute as Warner latched onto a low cross to bundle home the Baggies' fourth of the afternoon to provide some protection to their lead.

Albion were pouring forward at every opportunity as the visitors tired, and it was Ash Brown who fired home to make it 5-2 with little over a quarter of an hour to play.

Abi Loydon bagged the sixth soon after, slotting home from Jhamat’s cross from the left.

Albion’s seventh of the game was arguably their best. Jhamat was played in on goal, and with only the goalkeeper to beat she dinked a brilliant lob over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Liv Rabjohn capped off the thumping victory in added time after her attempt was deemed to have crossed the line after a scramble in the Lye area.

The result ensures Siobhan Hodgetts-Still's side put their name into the hat for the second round, with the draw taking place on Monday, November 13.

Albion: Miller, Brown, Newell (McGowan 46), Crackle, Rabjohn, Loydon, Evans, Warner, Mahmood (Straker 77), Jhamat, Cole (Bennett-Steele 77).

Subs: Jones, Weston.