County secured their place in the quarter final of the FA Women’s Cup, with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Notts had a number of debutants in their team and it was one of those, Rachel Williams who caused problems early on. Her dangerous run forced a corner, the Lady Pies almost taking the lead but the Tottenham defender cleared well ahead of striker Williams.
On eleven minutes it was Rachel Williams again who created another chance, forcing the defender into a mistake before pulling the ball back to Dunia Susi who screwed her shot wide.
However, it wasn’t long until the Nottingham side took the lead. Ellen White hassled the Spurs defender, wrestling the ball off her before threading it through to Sophie Walton, the midfielder raced onto the ball and slid it past the onrushing keeper for her first goal for Notts County.
The goal settled the home side down, with White starting to control things up top, the striker looking like she had never been away, spinning away from one defender and riding three challenges before eventually being stopped.
The game slowed down as both teams tried to take control with Notts coming out on top and almost doubling their lead before half time. Dani Buet and Williams linked up well, with the latter feeding the ball to Susi, the winger controlled the ball before striking towards goal, the ball rebounding off the post to Jess Clarke but the striker couldn’t force it over the line.
This sparked the Lady Pies into life as the game entered injury time, Greenwood’s corner caused havoc in the six yard box, the ball ricocheting towards goal before the Tottenham defender did well to react first and knock the ball clear.
It was all County at this point and with the last kick of the half they almost added a second, the ball dropped to White 20 yards out and she smashed a volley inches wide of the post.
The home side entered the break with a one goal lead.
Fired on by a half time team talk it was County who came out of the traps flying. Ellen White burst down the left before squaring the ball across the face of goal for Williams, the defender did well to clear but it only went as far as White who dummied her way past a defender before blasting the ball into the back of the net for a debut goal.
It was a great start to the half from County, and the worst start for Tottenham, the goal boosting Notts’ front three as they looked to secure their progress to the next round.
It was a defender though who almost netted the third, Alex Greenwood picked the ball up 35 yards out, she took a touch forward before unleashing a vicious drive that left the keeper as a spectator, as the ball crashed against the crossbar and deflected over.
A series of corners for the Lady Pies saw Buet twice come close, with the Spurs stopper doing well to parry off the line twice in quick succession.
With just a minute left on the clock, substitute Fiona O’Sullivan got her first of the season, and sealed the win for Notts. A Greenwood corner found Leanne Crichton at the back post, the midfielder nodded towards goal and O’Sullivan was on hand to add the finishing touch as Toni Anne Wayne in the Spurs goal was ready to make the save.
That looked to be it as the game entered second half injury time, but O’Sullivan had other ideas. The striker beat everyone else to a Greenwood corner and nodded into the far corner, past a helpless Wayne.
The last chance of the game went to Irish international O’Sullivan, but the second half substitute couldn’t complete her hat trick as she headed White’s cross wide. Shortly after the referee blew for full time, a controlled performance from the home side sees them through to the FAW Cup quarter final.
Notts County Ladies FC Goal Scorers: Walton 16′, White 46′, O’Sullivan 89′,90′
