Moneyfields Women progress into the third round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup with a 3-1 win away to a youthful and spirited Haringey Borough.
Karl Watson’s team had already made history by reaching the Second Round of the competition for the first time since the team was established in 2017. Boro were in the same position and also determined to make sure it was them who are in the hat for the Third Round at our expense.
Moneyfields welcomed Emma Moody and Rozalia Sitarz into the starting line-up after missing last week’s County Cup win over Eastleigh. While Kira Vallely, Honey Bond and Freya Farrow return to the first team to take up a place on the bench.
It was clear from the first minute that Boro would seek to take advantage of their devastating pace out wide. Moody and Sharna Capel-Watson both had to be on their toes as Boro looked to put them through on every occasion.
The deadlock was broken in the twelfth minute by Kim Fuller. The team’s all-time top scorer found herself in acres of space on the left and her shot across goal found the bottom-right-hand corner of the goal, giving the Boro goalkeeper, Liamara Hensel-Burg, no chance.
To their credit, Boro’s heads did not drop and they continued about their business. They were rewarded with an equaliser when Tori Campbell beat the offside trap and hit an early shot from distance, giving Georgia Jenkins in the Money’s goal no chance.
The vocal Boro following were starting to dream of an FA Cup upset but Charley Wilson-Wilton’s near post header in the fortieth minute restored our lead.
The Moneys bench was up off their feet in the dying moments of the first half when it looked like Gemma Simmonds would extend the lead further. She found herself through on goal and her shot looked destined to hit the back of the net but it came off the crossbar and went out for a goal kick. There was no time for the restart and Moneys went into half-time ahead.
Moneys began the second half strongly with plenty of the ball within the Boro half but their young defence stood strong making it difficult to carve out clear chances on what was turning into a cold afternoon.
The pressure finally paid off and in the fifty-eighth minute Moneys restored the two-goal advantage when Wilson-Wilton reacted quickly to bundle the ball over the line after Hensel-Burg could not hold onto Moody’s fierce shot.
Tash Wild was introduced for Kim Fuller just after the hour mark in what would be our only change of the match.
As the match progressed both teams pushed for the next goal but neither side created any clear chances. Kau’inohea Taylor held the ball up well for Moneys throughout the game but was unable to the clear sight of goal that she would have been craving.
As the match crept into the latter stages the experience of Moneyfields paid off as we continued to take the sting out of Boro’s attack.
Haringey Borough: Liamara Hensel-Burg, Tayla Dennis, Emily Pickard, Amber Leighton, Saoirse Hourigan, Rimini Lowe, Kylie Manktelow, Nellz Humes (c), Jade Pollendine, Tori Campbell
Substitutes: Amy Haynes, Chloe Ions, Latifa Mammeri, Lexi Wade, Kiki Christofi
Moneyfields: Georgia Jenkins, Sharna Capel-Watson, Beth Burgess, Emma Moody, Rozalia Sitarz, Gemma Simmonds, Kirsty Pearce, Charley Wilson-Wilton (c), Kim Fuller, Kau’inohea Taylor
Substitutes: Kira Vallely, Tash Wild, Honey Bond, Chelsie Hays, Freya Farrow
