Sun 26 Oct - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 3mins
Derby County Women secured an emphatic 6-0 victory on the road at Coventry Sphinx Ladies in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup First Round.
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Sam Griffiths' side raced into a three-goal lead early on with Mikayla Wildgoose, Minnie Wilson and Ella Bryan on the scoresheet, before goalkeeper Harriet Wayne was sent off in the 21st minute for the Ewes.
Being a player down did not harm Derby, as a Chené Muir brace came either side of a Mia Wheeler strike in the second half, sending Derby through to the Second Round as 6-0 winners.
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Derby started on the front foot, with Marnie Drake firing straight at goalkeeper Parri Uppal inside two minutes.
The Ewes had the next chance of the game, too. Bryan slipped the ball through to Ché Thomas, who was forced wide and then denied by Uppal in the net.
The early pressure came to a head after ten minutes, when Wildgoose headed in Wilson’s corner at the back post.
Derby won a penalty in the 13th minute after Wilson was fouled on the right-hand side of the box and she then stepped up to take the spot-kick, firing into the right-hand side of the goal.
Rounding out a hectic eight minutes, Bryan got the third when she found the bottom left corner following a goalmouth scramble at the far post.
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Wayne was given her marching orders in the 21st minute, after rushing out of the goal and bringing down Kirsty Farnsworth, who was running through on goal.
Despite being a player down, Derby remained firmly in control, the next chance coming when Wheeler rattled the crossbar from 25 yards out.
The chances kept on coming for Derby with Hannah Sparkes’ cross just missing everyone at the back post in the 31st minute.
A rare Coventry Sphinx chance came in the 39th minute, but a free-kick attempt was well caught by substitute goalkeeper Sarah Morgan.
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Griffiths’ side kept pushing right up until the break and, in stoppage time, the tightly marked Wilson did well to pull the ball back from the byline, but Emily Joyce’s shot deflected behind for a corner.
Wilson then made a mazy run through four defenders before shooting wide from the edge of the box.
Substitute Muir made it four seven minutes after the break, drilling a low finish past Uppal and into the bottom corner.
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Olivia Edwards nearly got on the scoresheet just after the hour mark, but she could only put Kate Oakley’s ball wide.
Wheeler’s shot across the goal made it five in the 65th minute before a confident finish from Muir at the near post for her second of the game two minutes later.
Muir went close to completing her hat-trick in the 83rd minute before Wheeler’s effort from distance flew wide.
In a busy final five minutes, the hosts had a chance to find a consolation through substitute Jahni Simmons, but she could only shoot wide of Morgan’s right-hand post.
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Wilson then headed Sparkes’ cross wide, before Muir was again denied her hat-trick by Uppal in added time.
Derby are back in league action on Wednesday night as they host Stoke City Women at the Don Amott Arena (7:45pm kick off).
The Ewes will learn their opponents for the next stage of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, when the Second Round draw takes place on Monday 27th October at 7pm.
Derby County Women: Wayne (GK) (red card 21), Mason (Melrose 46), Wildgoose, Thomas (Morgan (GK) 22), Joyce (C), Bryan (Edwards 46), Drake (Muir 46), Wilson, Wheeler, Shepherd (Oakley 46), Sparkes.
Unused Substitutes: Ward, Stevens.
Words: Jack Bryan
Images: Terri Lee
