Saints Women secure passage to Bute Energy Welsh Cup quarter-finals

Match Report

Goals: Staley (19), Ridge (28), Griffiths (40), Evans (45+5)
Yellow cards: Chapman (85)
Substitutions: Edge for Evans (46), Teare for Griffiths (82), Suckley for Parkes (85)

Match report by Michael Davies
Lead image: F28.Online

The New Saints Women advanced to the quarter-finals of the Bute Energy Welsh Cup for the first time following a 4-0 win over Y Felinheli.

Dani Staley, Emily Ridge, Georgia Griffiths and Helen Evans all scored in the first-half to secure passage to the next round for The New Saints.

The Saints will find out their next opponents in due course.

Greg Draper’s team thought they had taken the lead in the seventh minute of the game, as Dani Staley had a shot from close distance that the keeper palmed away, but found Emily Ridge, who slotted the ball home, but the flag was put up for offside.

The New Saints found the back of the net for the second time soon after, as Helen Evans scored from close range, however, once again the goal was disallowed, but this time for a foul.

Another chance was soon to follow through a Caitlin Chapman effort from outside the box that Catrin Beech stopped.

The Saints did take a 1-0 lead in 19th minute, as Chapman whipped in a ball that was palmed away by Beech, but Dani Staley was there to collect the effort and find the back of the net from six-yards out  through the keeper’s legs.

Not long later, the Oswestry-based team were back on the attack. Chapman put in a corner that found Helen Evans, who had a header at the Felinheli net that was saved.

Before the half-hour mark, Draper’s side took a 2-0 lead through Ridge, who netted at the second time of asking from point-blank range after Beech intially made a great save to keep out the number 35.

The third goal came in the 40th minute thanks a Georgia Griffiths free-kick from just outside the box, which found the top-corner of the net. This was following a handball by the goalkeeper from just outside the 18-yard-area.

A fourth goal followed just before half-time in the fifth minute of stoppage time, as Chapman put in a corner that found Evans, who headed the ball into the back of the net from inches out.

TNS were close to a fifth not long after the restart, where Ridge shot from six-yards out, but Beech saved the effort.

Past the hour, Staley had a long-range attempt, which Beech successfully palmed away, as Saints went searching for another goal.

Beech denied the TNS attack once more in the 73rd minute, where Ridge played a through ball to Chapman, who shot inside the box, but Beech made the stop.

Late on in the game, Staley put in a corner ball that found substitute, Chantelle Teare, who headed just wide of the net. That was the end of the action, as Draper’s side safely advanced to the quarter-finals.

TNS are next in action against Pontypridd United on Sunday, November 19th in the Genero Adran Premier.