Glassgirls Well Beaten as Cup Hopes Blown Away

The home side took control with two early goals, but it was a spell of five in twelve minutes either side of half time that blew Stour away after they had fought hard throughout the first half to keep themselves in the tie, and although the Glassgirls had their fair share of possession at times they couldn’t break down an experienced Wolves back-line to gain any consolation.

Manager Mike Harris made two changes to his team, with Ellie McGovern and Jess Lowe returning after missing last week’s trip to Newcastle, while the home side included Lexie Harrison on the bench after the midfielder switched allegiances this week.

Stour would have hoped to keep Wolves quiet early on, but found themselves behind inside five minutes. Jamie-Lee Bamford had already saved well at her near post from Beth Merrick, and seen Hannah Fryer back heel the resulting corner over the bar, but she was powerless when Wolves pounced on some ponderous defending, and Fryer recycled the ball at the far post for Jade Cross to open the scoring.

There were positive glimpses as the Glassgirls put together a couple of good move which were let down by the final ball, only to go further behind with 13 minutes played as Beth Roberts just about kept the ball in on the by-line for Amber Hughes to finish at the near post.

Merrick fired over, and Hughes clipped a shot against the crossbar, but largely Stour held their own for much of the rest of the half without looking overly threatening, although Zoe Clarke was only denied by a last ditch interception as Niamh Deasy’s pass looked like putting her in on goal, while Clarke returned the favour for Deasy to shoot straight at Bec Thomas.

Bamford did well to tip Hughes’s shot over the bar just after the half hour, but just as Stour would have been looking towards the break for a chance to regroup, Wolves struck three times in the final five minutes of the half to put the tie beyond all doubt.

Beth Roberts’s low cross from the right squeezed through the six-yard box, with Bamford unsure whether Jade Cross would get a touch, and nestled just inside the far post to make it three, and Stour were undone again when Zoe Clarke’s corner fell to Jess Lowe whose shot was blocked, with Wolves breaking in numbers and Bramford eventually finding herself in the clear to shoot past Bamford.

And there was enough time for Hughes to head in her second from Anna Morphet’s free kick to leave the Glassgirls with a mountain to climb.

Initially it looked like they would give the task a good crack, as they dominated possession and territory in the early stages of the second half, without really creating much of note, other than an Esme Moran header from Kelsey Richardson’s corner that Thomas held, but Wolves showed their ruthless streak as they scored with their first two serious attacks of the half. Both goals came in similar fashion, Jade Cross twice converting balls in from the right from Fryer.

Stour’s resolve was under the microscope by this stage, and they responded well, even if the home side had perhaps taken their foot off the accelerator. Moran’s shot from 30 yards brought a comfortable save from Thomas, and Jade Grove drifted a shot not far wide after good work from Ellie Butler (pictured), while Bamford at the other end dealt well with what came her way.

The Glassgirls were forced to finish the game with ten players as injury forced Clarke off, with all three substitutes used, and for a spell were reduced to nine as Moran left the field for treatment after being down for a good while, and the closing stages were played out with little incident until Morphet rounded off the scoring with an effort from 25 yards that skipped off the turf and beat Bamford just inside her far post.

(Photo - Anthony Dunn, Focus Dunn Sports Photography)