WOMENS FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND
ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT LFC 7
CHIPPING SODBURY TOWN LFC 0
It was to be a historic day for Bassett having not only introduced player sponsorship after now having been promoted to the fifth tier of women’s football, this was also the first time they had charged admission (a very modest £2) and produced a superb 16 page match day programme exclusively for the Ladies team full of very useful information for a donation of your choosing.
Bassett started the game much the stronger with early chances from Maddy Elliott and last year’s scoring sensation, Hayley Huckin.
Attacking full-back Hannah Gulliver forced the Sodbury keeper into a fine save and Elliott had another great chance after a solo run.
Bassett’s keeper Abi Footner must have wished she’d brought a book with her as long-serving player Lisa Coe amd new signing from Frampton Rangers, Beth Kelloway, bossed the midfield and kept Sodbury penned in their own half.
The good work finally paid off for Bassett on the half-hour mark as Elliott directed a Huckin cross into the net. In the following minute Gulliver sent a cross from the right that outrageously went into the top left-hand corner of the goal to put Bassett 2-0 up.
On 38 minutes referee George Lynch awarded Bassett a penalty for a foul and Huckin duly scored to put the home team 3-0 up at the break.
Five minutes after the restart Elliott tapped in a Huckin cross for her second and five minutes after that, Gulliver picked up a brace of her own with a good shot after a melee in the box. This put Bassett 5-0 up and with it extinguishing Sodburys chances once and for all.
On 63 minutes Huckin got her second from the edge of the penalty area and substitute Eloise Hayward, who came on for the brilliant Huckin, capped off the scoring by grabbing a goal of her own to give Bassett a ‘Magnificent Seven’ and put them in the hat for the next round and give them their second ever win in this competition.
REPORT BY RICHARD PAISH
