Albion Women secured their passage into the Adobe Women’s FA Cup fourth round with a comprehensive win over Leeds United on Sunday.
The Baggies took a while to kick into gear, but a quickfire double from Monique Robinson and Ellie May, just two minutes apart from each other, along with a late Mia Sorrentino effort – ensured the visitors’ place in round four.
Manager Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made two changes to the side that drew with Loughborough Lightning in the FAWNL Northern Premier as Hannah George and Zoe Creaney were handed starts in defence.
Aside from Rhianne Oakley’s deflected effort, which came after she cleverly manufactured some space for herself, there was little in the way of scoring opportunities for either side in the first half.
Creaney had two opportunities to score as the action resumed in Yorkshire. Firstly nodding over Phoebe Warner’s corner, before lofting a generous ricochet off target.
A tactical switch in the 67th-minute seemed to be the catalyst for change, as May replaced Warner. This meant Robinson switched to the right-hand-side, where she found space to fire a sumptuous effort using the outside of her right boot into the top corner – handing Albion the advantage.
Another came just two minutes later. Oakley raced beyond the Whites’ back-line, and after standing up a home defender, teed up May to slide past goalkeeper Carrie Simpson.
The Baggies forced Simpson into two late saves, as she made herself big to deny Creaney’s effort at point-blank range, before tipping Fran Orthodoxou’s low strike around the post.
Substitute Sorrentino had the final say on proceedings and scored her first Albion goal as she raced through before prodding past the goalkeeper – rounding off a successful afternoon in Yorkshire.
Albion: Clarke; Creaney, Green, George; Reynolds, Rabjohn (Watkins 76’), Orthodoxou, Haughey; Warner (May 67’), Robinson (Kehoe 90’), Oakley (Sorrentino 90’).
Substitutes: Johnson, Howard, Jhamat, Pullen, Evans, Day.
