Albion Women won the Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup with an emphatic 6-2 victory over FA WNL Northern Premier rivals Rugby Borough on Tuesday night.
The Baggies blew their opposition away at Walsall's Poundland Bescot Stadium with three stunning first half strikes - Ali Miller, Phoebe Warner and Rhianne Oakley were all on target with excellent finishes.
Oakley’s second gave the Baggies further breathing room, before Marli Rhodes' free-kick and Simran Jhamat's penalty added further shine to a dominant display on a glorious night.
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made wholesale changes to the side that were defeated in their final FA WNL Northern Premier clash at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Ella Haughey, Taylor Reynolds, Seren Watkins, Fran Orthodoxou, Rhianne Oakley and Ali Miller were all brought back in for the cup final encounter.
A cagey opening greeted the strong crowd at the home of the Saddlers. Oakley almost broke through on goal with some strong pressing but was hampered by a quick defensive recovery.
It was Albion who soon broke the deadlock, though. Miller met an inviting cross from Haughey to flick over goalkeeper Anna Pedersen for the opener.
The Baggies weren’t in any mood to sit back, and doubled their advantage when Warner latched on to Oakley’s delicate pass to lift over the stranded Pedersen from 30 yards out.
A third soon followed, but not before Baggies goalkeeper Lavarna Johnson produced two excellent saves to keep her side two clear. Oakley, who would later go on to be named Player of the Match, played a one-two with skipper Rabjohn before lofting an effort into the far corner of Pedersen’s goal.
Rugby grabbed one back just before half-time through Katy Morris, but the Baggies came out firing in the second half.
Oakley secured her brace after Miller carved through Rugby's defence and crossed to the striker, who only needed to make clean contact with the ball to divert it into the back of the net from close range to make it 4-1.
Ebony Wiseman pulled one back for Rugby, but a late duo of Baggies' strikes from substitutes Marli Rhodes and Simran Jhamat put the seal on the side's first piece of silverware in six years.
Albion: Johnson; Reynolds, Green, Oliver, Haughey; Orthodoxou (George 90'), Watkins (Evans 85'); Miller (May 66’), Warner (Jhamat 90'), Rabjohn; Oakley.
Substitutes: Mahmood.
