Moneyfields Women defeat Ashford Town and make history by reaching the Women’s FA Cup Second Round for the first time since the team was launched in 2017.
It was a disappointing start for Moneys when Ashley Cheatley opened the scoring midway through the first half when she was afforded too much space finished passed Georgia Jenkins in goal.
Moneys didn’t alter the game plan and trusted in the players ability and that trust was rewarded when Charley Wilson-Wilton levelled with a superbly timed run and emphatic header from and Emma Moody cross.
It was another setback for Moneyfields when Cheatley scored her second goal in the dying moments of the first half. Cheatley pounced on a loose ball from a Moneys throw in and with a burst of pace, beating two defenders she found herself in front of goal and slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, out of Jenkins’ reach.
Second half substitute Gemma Simmonds made an immediate impact when she was ghosted into space on the edge of the box and hit Beth Burgess’ cut back first time into the bottom corner of the goal.
Two minutes later Sophie Phelps put Moneys in the lead for the first time in the match. The defender picked up the ball just inside the Ashford Town half and then dribbled into space before playing a one-two pass with Kau’inohea Taylor. There was still work to do but Phelps beat the defender to find herself with only the keeper to beat but she made no mistake.
A great team goal provided Moneys with a bit of breathing space. Simmonds found Wilson-Wilton with her back to goal, she found Moody on the right hand side, she then found Burgess who took advantage of the space offered to her and she found Wilson-Wilton who again made no mistake with her header.
When the Ashford Town keeper, Emma Vigolo committed herself to close down Wilson-Wilton the Moneys skipper then turned provider, picking out Taylor who slotted onto an empty net for her fourteenth goal in all competitions.
Kim Fuller completed the scoring for Moneys when she converted Rozalia Sitarz’s low cross into the back of the net.
There was still time for a consolation goal for the visitors. Moneyfields failed to clear a free kick and then Jordanne Hoesli-Atkins bundled the ball over the line.
After the match, First Team Manager Karl Watson said, “It is common knowledge that we never do things the easy way at Moneyfields. We said at half time [at 2-1 down] that we have to trust ourselves, we felt that we were the better side and we showed that.”
Sophie Phelps added, “The second half we came out and looked like a completely different squad, we had a different hunger and while I received Player of the Match there were eleven or twelve players who could have also got it.”
The reward is a trip to face lower league Haringey Borough in the Second Round.
Moneyfields: Georgia Jenkins, Kiera Heslam, Payton Howard, Sophie Phelps, Emma Moody, Rozalia Sitarz, Kirsty Pearce, Bekah Tonks, Charley Wilson-Wilton ©, Beth Burgess, Kau’inohea Taylor
Substitutes: Sharna Capel-Watson, Tash Wild, Gemma Simmonds, Kim Fuller, Chelsie Hay
Ashford Town: Emma Vigolo, Nicole Leys, Hannah Duncan, Anya Kinnane, Alissa Down, Gabby Bishop, Millie Constantine, Ashley Cheatley, Brogan Moore, Kylin Hays, Jordanne Hoesli-Atkins
