Glassgirls Ease Through in County Cup

The visitors, who play three levels below the Glassgirls, battled throughout despite only having ten players, but were no match for Andy Fisher’s side, and once Stour were four goals to the good inside the first ten minutes it was simply a question of how many they would score.

New signing Connie Dutton led the way with four goals on her debut, with Hollie Somers and Ruby Meeson both matching that tally later in the game, and there were also first senior goals for Meg Bailey (2), Keira Scarlett and Tara Salt.

The manager had mixed feelings after the game…

“We’re through, and I suppose that’s all that matters, but I’m not sure how good these matches are for women’s football really, and I do think that’s a question that needs to be asked.

“Fair play to FC Premier. Their attitude was spot on, they wanted to play football and they made life as hard for us as they could. We’ve already seen a number of teams scratch from the competition this season, and they could have taken that way out, but they didn’t, and I think that reflects well on them.

“From our point of view, we’ve given a few Development Team players a run out and they’ve all benefitted from the experience, as have some of the players who haven’t had much game time recently.

“It’s been a hard few weeks with the Cup ties, so we’ll make the most of the break now before we take on Sutton in January.”

There were competitive debuts (pictured above) for Ashleigh Walton in goal, Chelsea Hassell at centre back, Scarlett at right back and Bailey in midfield - from the bench - as well as Dutton, and all put in impressive performances, although in reality Walton had little of note to do.

Stour needed just four minutes to open the scoring as Dutton swept home from Hannah Fishwick’s unselfish lay-off. Carly Aldred made it two from the penalty spot after being brought down by the Premier keeper, before Fishwick tucked away the third and Dutton squeezed her shot under the keeper to make it four.

The Glassgirls then mislaid their shooting boots for a spell, with several chances going begging including a fine save from another spot kick, this one taken by Bailey.

But Bailey made amends with a sweetly struck shot for the fifth just after the half hour, and Stour added four more before the break. Dutton slipped home her third, Scarlett made it seven from the spot following a handball, Meeson rounded the keeper to open her account, and then Aldred slammed in the ninth right on the half time whistle.

Stour were a little slow out of the blocks after the break, and needed the assistance of a Premier defender to get them going again, as she touched a through ball into her own net under pressure from Somers.

Bailey made it eleven as she finished off Salt’s cross, Dutton’s composed finish brought the twelfth goal on the hour, and a minute later Somers took the ball round the keeper for her first, before repeating the trick for her second and Stour’s fourteenth.

Meeson made it fifteen, before Salt open her Glassgirls account with one of the goals of the game, finding the top corner from 20 yards after sprinting away down the left.

Somers and Meeson completed their hat-tricks within a minute of each other, and then made it four each in the closing stages to round off proceedings.