AFC Fylde Women booked their place in the Quarter Final of the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday with a 4-2 victory over Durham Cestria at Kellamergh Park.
After defeating Chorley Women and Notts County Women in the previous rounds, the Coasters were looking to make further progress in the FAWNL Cup when they hosted Durham Cestria in the Second Round.
Jack Garside’s Fylde dominated the first half and took a commanding 3-0 lead through an opener from Beth Strutton and two goals from Ginny Lackey. Michael Third’s Durham Cestria fought back in the second half and scored twice courtesy of a quick-fire brace from Alisha Mainwaring.
The Coasters eventually put the tie to bed when Lackey completed her hat-trick in the closing stages. And with that, Fylde ran out 4-2 winners to advance to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
It was a lively start to proceedings as both sides created good chances inside the opening minutes. Fylde’s Clara Samson raced through on goal and drew a smart save from visiting goalkeeper Anna King. At the other end, Victoria Neuefeind found herself in a one-on-one situation but dragged her effort wide of the post.
Fylde opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Sasha Rowe’s corner kick eventually fell at the feet of Beth Strutton, who struck a crisp volley into the top left corner of the net.
As the visitors pushed for an instant equaliser, Mainwaring played in Jo Wilson for a sight of goal, but Fylde goalkeeper Liz Craven rushed out to block Wilson’s effort in the 12th minute.
Lackey then doubled Fylde’s advantage in the 24th minute when she capitalised on a defensive mix-up in the visitors’ defence and slotted past King from close range.
On the half-hour mark, Lackey pounced on another defensive error to score her second of the game. After firing her initial effort against the crossbar, Lackey nodded home the rebound to make it 3-0.
With half-time approaching, the Coasters were forced into a change when the impressive Lauren Heria went off injured to be replaced by Iszy Binks.
Half-Time: AFC Fylde Women 3-0 Durham Cestria
Durham Cestria were rejuvenated in the second half as they searched for a route back into the tie. They came close to scoring on the hour mark when Kirsten Donald rifled a fierce effort against the crossbar before Neuefeind forced a smart save from Craven on the rebound.
Minutes later, Fylde substitute Lois Moore pressed forward and won a free-kick on the edge of the box. Lackey lined up the free-kick but her strike flew narrowly over the crossbar.
In the 71st minute, Durham Cestria reduced the deficit when Mainwaring netted her first goal of the afternoon. Neuefeind burst down the left wing, turned inside and fired on target. Craven could only parry her shot into the path of Mainwaring, who coolly slotted home to make it 3-1.
The visitors pulled another goal back in the 77th minute when Amy Richardson slid the ball through to Mainwaring, who cut inside and thundered an unstoppable strike into the top corner from 30 yards out to make it 3-2.
However, the Coasters allayed any fears of a comeback a few minutes later when Lackey rounded off a superb team move with a neat finish to make it 4-2. After a series of one-touch passes down the left, Moore swept a through ball to Lackey, who steered her shot into the bottom right corner from just inside the area.
On the stroke of full-time, the visitors were reduced to ten players when Mainwaring was dismissed for a second bookable offence following an off-the-ball altercation.
The Coasters saw out the remaining minutes to book their place in the FAWNL Cup Quarter Final, which is to be played at the end of January 2024.
Full-Time: AFC Fylde Women 4-2 Durham Cestria
The Coasters return to league action this weekend when they travel to Staffordshire to take on Stoke City Women at Norton Sports Club. This away fixture is scheduled for Sunday 5th November, with kick-off at 2.00 pm.
AFC Fylde Women: Craven, Hamill, Strutton, James (70’ Taylor), Siddall, Rowe, Beresford (54’ Moore), Devereaux, Heria (45+1’ Binks), Samson (61’ Thomas), Lackey
Unused substitute: Murphy
Durham Cestria: King, Knowles, Wilson, Gibbon, Richardson, Giles, Neuefeind, Donald (60’ Noble), Mainwaring, Mackie, Bell
Report by Scott Jones
