Town's historic run in the Women's FA Cup came to an end on Sunday as the Tractor Girls fell to a 10-0 defeat at the hands of current holders Manchester City at Academy Stadium.
Laura Coombs opened the scoring for the hosts, with Pauline Bremer, Jess Park and Georgia Stanway all netting hat-tricks for the Women's Super League leaders.
City unsurprisingly started the game very strong but failed to break down the resilient Blues. Town began to grow into the game shortly after and found an outlet through Anna Grey, who was able to get the better of Stanway on a number of occasions. Just as the Tractor Girls had threatened and earned their first corner of the game, City delivered the ultimate sucker punch. After clearing Paige Peake's corner, Park received the loose ball and set away Coombs, who raced away from Blue Wilson and slotted past Nikita Runnacles in the Town net.
Soon after, Lauren Hemp looked almost certain to double her side's advantage but she was denied by Runnacles' incredible save with her legs. However, Hemp would turn provider moments later as her cut-back teed up Bremer to fire in from close-range. City began to pile on serious pressure and were soon rewarded for their dominance as they netted their third. Hemp's cross was half-cleared by Lindsey Cooper and the ball fell kindly for Park to slam home from the edge of the area.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the break and soon had their fourth of the afternoon. Canadian international Janine Beckie's reverse-pass found Bremer in the area, who smashed high over the head of Runnacles and into the net for her second goal of the day. Beckie would soon provide another assist as her low cross found the arriving Stanway to slide home. City's sixth was a goal of pure quality, with a neat interchange between Stanway and Keira Walsh resulting in an intricate through ball for Bremer, who secured her hat-trick with a cool finish into the bottom corner.
The Cityzens continued to assert their dominance against a spirited Ipswich resistance but soon had their seventh with a scintillating attack. Bremer flicked on a long-ball into the path of Beckie, who delivered a dangerous cross for the unmarked Stanway to slam home. England international Stanway then turned provider as her tidy pass found Park to slot home from 10-yards. Three minutes later, Park became the second City player to secure her-hatrick after her stunning strike from 20-yards swerved into the top corner. Finally, Stanway finished her afternoon by also netting a treble as her thunderous effort from a short-corner rifled into the net with Runnacles rooted to the spot.
Overall, the gulf in class between a fully professional City side littered with international stars proved a step too far for an incredibly young Town team that featured seven teenagers in the starting lineup. Despite the result, the Tractor Girls bow out of the Women's FA Cup having made history by becoming the first fourth-tier side ever to reach the last sixteen of the competition and take away an experience that will stand them in good stead for what is very likely to be a bright future.
Town: Runnacles (GK), Peake, Cooper, Egan, Peskett (Pannifer), Wilson, Lafayette (Wakefield), Crump (c), Grey, Biggs, Thomas (King).
Unused: Williamson (GK), Hubbard, Cossey, Rossiter
Att: 1340
City unsurprisingly started the game very strong but failed to break down the resilient Blues. Town began to grow into the game shortly after and found an outlet through Anna Grey, who was able to get the better of Stanway on a number of occasions. Just as the Tractor Girls had threatened and earned their first corner of the game, City delivered the ultimate sucker punch. After clearing Paige Peake's corner, Park received the loose ball and set away Coombs, who raced away from Blue Wilson and slotted past Nikita Runnacles in the Town net.
Soon after, Lauren Hemp looked almost certain to double her side's advantage but she was denied by Runnacles' incredible save with her legs. However, Hemp would turn provider moments later as her cut-back teed up Bremer to fire in from close-range. City began to pile on serious pressure and were soon rewarded for their dominance as they netted their third. Hemp's cross was half-cleared by Lindsey Cooper and the ball fell kindly for Park to slam home from the edge of the area.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the break and soon had their fourth of the afternoon. Canadian international Janine Beckie's reverse-pass found Bremer in the area, who smashed high over the head of Runnacles and into the net for her second goal of the day. Beckie would soon provide another assist as her low cross found the arriving Stanway to slide home. City's sixth was a goal of pure quality, with a neat interchange between Stanway and Keira Walsh resulting in an intricate through ball for Bremer, who secured her hat-trick with a cool finish into the bottom corner.
The Cityzens continued to assert their dominance against a spirited Ipswich resistance but soon had their seventh with a scintillating attack. Bremer flicked on a long-ball into the path of Beckie, who delivered a dangerous cross for the unmarked Stanway to slam home. England international Stanway then turned provider as her tidy pass found Park to slot home from 10-yards. Three minutes later, Park became the second City player to secure her-hatrick after her stunning strike from 20-yards swerved into the top corner. Finally, Stanway finished her afternoon by also netting a treble as her thunderous effort from a short-corner rifled into the net with Runnacles rooted to the spot.
Overall, the gulf in class between a fully professional City side littered with international stars proved a step too far for an incredibly young Town team that featured seven teenagers in the starting lineup. Despite the result, the Tractor Girls bow out of the Women's FA Cup having made history by becoming the first fourth-tier side ever to reach the last sixteen of the competition and take away an experience that will stand them in good stead for what is very likely to be a bright future.
Town: Runnacles (GK), Peake, Cooper, Egan, Peskett (Pannifer), Wilson, Lafayette (Wakefield), Crump (c), Grey, Biggs, Thomas (King).
Unused: Williamson (GK), Hubbard, Cossey, Rossiter
Att: 1340
