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Sunday 04 January 2004 Women's FA Cup
Wolverhampton Wanderers Ladies
6
-
2
AFC Wimbledon
Match report
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS LADIES 6 AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 2
The last time the ladies visited the Midlands was for the 5-0 League Cup defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. Today the Wolves ladies handed out a similar punishment, and in very similar fashion, with the ball over the top to a speedy striker proving all that was required.
Missing inspirational captain, Maria Bertelli, and with Keisha Ramos still suffering from a swollen ankle sustained in the midweek match, Lauren Nuttall was drafted back into her left back position and Gemma Lindfield pushed into the central midfield role, with Kelly Nethercoat promoted from the reserves onto the bench.
After an initial fright 3 minutes in, when Tracy Perry was forced to save sharply, Dons started quite brightly, passing the ball around well on the sodden Willenhall Town pitch, and it was all pretty even until the sixteenth minute when they made the mistake of going ahead. Beth Sims was fouled thirty yards out and Sarah Mulligan's perfectly placed free-kick gave the Wolves keeper no chance. From then until ten minutes before the end it was all Wolves. They equalised within a minute after a poor back-pass from Rachel Axon left Amber Quick with only Perry to beat, and eight minutes later Becky Hall latched onto a Michelle Riley mis-kick and lobbed Perry from 20 yards. Static defence allowed Hall to complete her hat-trick before half-time, both goals coming from balls over the top.
Manager Graham Newnham read the riot act at half-time, refusing to allow the girls off the pitch. The defence was further depleted by enforced substitutions to Rachel Axon (hamstring) and Kylie Davies (ankle), with Keisha Ramos forced to take the field and AFC switching to a flat back four. Despite almost constant pressure AFC held out for half an hour of the second period before Hall got her fourth. AFC tried to salvage some pride in the last ten minutes and Beth Sims finally broke through and beat the keeper from 20 yards only for the ball to bounce back off the base of the post. Vicky Gutteridge put the final nail in the coffin after a flowing move down the left caught the defence too far forward, although Kelly Nethercoat celebrated her return to first team action with a well taken last minute goal after coming off the bench.
The highlight of the day was the Rocking Rudolph ale in the club bar.
