Match report
Captain Louise Cooper scored twice as a weakened Dons team beat Horley to reach the 2nd Qualifying Round of the F A Women's Cup.
The visitors began strongly with a Tagg shot dipping just over but the Dons went ahead in the 7th minute when on the break Pepperrell lobbed keeper Hough (and was clattered for her trouble) for Lekesha James to force the ball over the line from close range. France's free kick was scrambled away and James volleyed just wide before Horley equalised in the 25th minute when a corner wasn't cleared, Gemma Vardon saved well from Tagg but Martin volleyed the loose ball home. A Hough clearance laid out Charlotte Nash and almost rebounded into the net before the Dons won a penalty when Jess Connolly found Jodie Fernandes who was tripped in the box. Lou Cooper slotted home the penalty to make it 2-1 in the 45th minute. Cooper's free kick then resulted in a massive scramble in the Horley area which was somehow cleared behind.
After the interval Connolly crashed a volley just wide and Fernandes headed Cooper's corner just wide whilst at the other end Tagg shot just wide before being brilliantly tackled in the area by Dannielle Davies. A Davies clearance hit Martin and rebounded just wide before a long range Cooper free kick was turned onto the post by Hough. In the 83rd minute Cooper clinched victory by calmly rounding a defender and passing the ball into the bottom corner, giving her teammates a lesson in composure. In injury time Wilson had three good chances to reduce the deficit, being denied by an excellent Vardon save, shooting the rebound into the side netting, then stabbing the resultant corner wide at the far post.
Vardon, Nash, Gibson, Cooper, Connolly, Spooner, Ludlow, James, Davies (Golder 74), Pepperrrell (Cundy 35), Fernandes. |
