Bolton Wanderers Women reached the Second Round of the Women’s FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history, with a 3-1 win at Harrogate Town on Saturday evening. That makes it 13 wins from 13 this season.
Tom Cunniff’s side had never faced Harrogate before. They went to the Marcy Fitness Stadium for a 5.30pm kick-off on the back of last weekend’s 2-0 league win at Nantwich Town, which the head coach called their performance of the season. Before the game, Cunniff said a win would take Wanderers further in this competition than Bolton had ever been. His players did it inside the first quarter of an hour.
Wanderers opened the scoring in the third minute through Naomi Lawrence.
Three minutes later they doubled the lead. Faye Stanhope cut inside from the flank and fired into the far corner, her second goal in as many games.
Molly Wood thought she had made it three soon after, turning in a Stanhope cross, but the flag went up for offside. She did not have to wait long. In the 15th minute a Harrogate clearance struck Wood and went into the net to make it 3-0.
Wood nearly scored again in the 24th minute when her corner came back off the crossbar before the hosts cleared. Wanderers went in at half-time three goals up.
Driving wind and rain made the second half tougher, and Harrogate improved after the break. Chloe Marshall pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute with a fine strike from 30 yards that flew into the corner past Annabelle White.
The hosts kept pushing. White claimed a long-range effort from Rochelle Ramroop and comfortably saved a header from substitute Rhian Edmondson after Ramroop’s cross. Wanderers kept their shape and held on.
Wanderers had chances to add a fourth. With ten minutes left, substitute Ella Tweedle sent a shot wide of the post, and Lily Weston hit the woodwork with the last chance of the game.
The win extends Wanderers’ perfect start to the season to 13 from 13 in all competitions. Next up in the Women’s FA Cup, Wanderers travel to Derby County Women in the Second Round on Sunday 15 November, kick-off 2pm. Further details to be confirmed in due course.
Wanderers: A. White (GK), M. Philpott, G. Vella, M. Wood, F. Stanhope, L. Walsh (C), N. Lawrence, L. Sharples, L. Hamer-Brown, A. Mackay, L. Weston.
Subs: X. Rodriguez, K. Holt, P. Wallis, E. Tweedle, S. Coward, N. Dale, M. Leigh.
Harrogate Town: K. Mortimer (GK), Washington, E. Hall (C), C. Marshall, Shuttleworth, R. Ramroop, C. Kell, Sturdy, Martin, Smith.
Subs: Parkin, Whiley, I. Rundle, R. Edmondson, Gough.
Photos: Keira Peacock