Photo from @mancitywomen on instagram
A brace from Lauren Hemp, as well as goals from Aoba Fujino and Laura Coombs helped Manchester City secure a place in the Quarter-finals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, and a 4-0 win over WSL2 side Sheffield United.
Sheffield United kicked us underway but it was Manchester City that started the goal tally off. After an effort from Mary Fowler, Lauren Hemp got the first goal of the afternoon just seven minutes in after Iman Beney found the winger by the far post and her effort was slotted into the back of the net. Just four minutes after the first, the home side found their second from Lauren Hemp as the side repeated the first goal. Iman Beney found Lauren Hemp by the back post and with no one marking her, she fired it into the back of the net.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure to the WSL2 side with efforts from Leila Ouahabi, but the away side put some shots away from Joy Ralph and Ella Kinzett and failed to find the back of the net. In the 21st minute, Manchester City secured a three goal cushion with a goal from Aoba Fujino. She received the ball from Laura Blindkilde Brown and her shot crossed inside the box and into the bottom corner of the net.
Both sides continued to provide chances including from Manchester City’s Mary Fowler, Leila Ouahabi, Sam Coffey, Lauren Hemp and Aoba Fujino but all failed to find the four goal lead. Meanwhile for the visitors, chances from Amy Andrew, Lia O’Leary and Mollie Rouse unsuccessfully found the back of the net and couldn’t give Sheffield United a chance.
First Half: Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United
Manchester City started the second half as they meant to go on with multiple chances from Lauren Hemp, Grace Clinton, Mary Fowler and Sam Coffey but they all failed to find something special. After Andree Jeglertz made a quadruple change, the chances continued to arrive for the dominant side. Lauren Hemp was the star of the show after having more chances in the second half but failed to produce another goal and ultimately her hat-trick ball.
Sheffield United had a number of chances from Amy Andrew but Khiara Keating in net did well to keep the chances away with Laura Coombs in the Manchester City shirt finding the final goal of the day in the 90+3’ minute. Her shot came initially from Rebecca Knaak after a corner saw her head the ball by the far post and a scramble by the goal saw Coombs find the end of it and into the back of the net.
Second Half: Manchester City 4-0 Sheffield United
What’s next for both sides:
After the win in the fifth round, Manchester City now head into the hat for the quarter-final stages with the draw taking place on Monday (23rd February) and fixtures taking place in the first week of April.
After the international break, Manchester City head to Aston Villa on Sunday 15th March at 11:55 with Sheffield United hosting Newcastle at 6pm on Saturday 14th March.
Teams:
Manchester City: Keating, Prior, Greenwood © (Knaak 63’), Ouahabi, Beney, Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann 63’), Coffey, Hemp (Murphy 81’), Fujino (Coombs 63’), Clinton, Fowler (Shaw 63’).
Unused Substitutes: Cumings, Rose, Miedema, Hasegawa.
Goals: Hemp (7’,11’), Fujino (21’), Coombs (90+3’)
Sheffield United: Rogers, Cowan, Kinzett © (Phillips 90’), Andrews (King 91’), Ralph (Hill 78’), Devlin (Guyatt 46’), O’Leary (Scofield 63’), O’Rourke, Sherwood, Rouse, Butler.
Unused Substitutes: Parker-Smith, Thompson.
Yellow Cards: Guyatt (90’)