Sheffield United Women 0 v Birmingham City Women 3 - Women's FA Cup R4

Sunday 26th January 2020

Women's FA Cup Fourth Round
at the Proact Stadium
Sheffield United (0) 0
Birmingham City (0) 3
Harriet Scott 55, 90+2
Lucy Staniforth 59
Attendance: 335
A few more mobile phone pictures: click HERE

Sheffield United:
Emily Ramsey, Alethea Paul (Veatriki Sarri 59), Leandra Little, Naomi Hartley, Chloe Dixon, Maddy Cusack, Sophie Barker, Mollie Green, Olivia Fergusson (Rhema Lord-Mears 59), Katie Wilkinson, Jade Pennock.
Unused subs - Ali Johnson
Birmingham City:
Hanna Hampton, Adrianne Jordan, Kerys Harrop (Sarah Mayling 71), Georgia Brougham, Harriet  Scott, Lucy Whipp, Lucy Staniforth (Rachel Williams 71), Chloe Arthur, Abbi Grant, Brianna Visalli, Emma Kelly (Claudia Walker 78).
Unused subs - Rebecca Holloway, Alexandra Brooks

In which the women's teams of an FA Premier League club and an EFL Championship side, met to do battle in the fourth round of the Women's FA Cup, at a Derbyshire non-league ground, on a wet and chilly afternoon.

I hear told that the football supporters within the locality, had begged the Blades women's team to play their home fixtures at the Proact Stadium so that they could at least have one half-decent side to watch in this footballing backwater of a town this season, where the host club (Chesterfield) is fighting against relegation towards the foot of the National League.

Of course, the league standing of today's sides is a polar opposite reversal of their respective men's teams, inasmuch as, Blues are a top-flight club, while the Blades are chomping at the bit to get out of the Championship. United are currently second in the league, so fingers crossed that they can catch overtake the team above them (Aston Villa) to win the title.
The gap in class showed today and though the Blades weren't without their moments, it was a fairly comfortable win for Marta Tejedor's Blues, particularly after the interval, when they converted their dominance into goals.

I was surprised upon entering the Proact Stadium to see somebody hanging up a couple of Manchester United flags, but it transpired that today's hosts included midfielder Mollie Green and the nineteen year old goalkeeper Emily Ramsey in their line up, who're both on loan from the Old Trafford based club. Green acquitted herself well and Ramsey had a great game too, despite being beaten three times in the second half. 

Maddy Cusack (a former Blues player herself) was a rather intimidating presence in the Blades midfield... and evidently isn't shy about putting a foot in, or muscling opposition players off of the ball. I mean that by way of compliment too.

Birmingham had the better of the first half, but were unable to add the finishing touch to some neat build up play and the teams went in level at the break.

The Blades looked raring to go as the teams re-emerged for the second-half, but Blues soon picked up territoriality, where they had left off at the break.

A goal for the visitors looked ever more likely as United survived a couple of scares... and the breakthrough finally arrived in the 55th minute, when Emma Kelly, making her first start for Blues linked up well with Abbi Grant and Adrienne Jordan, to force a corner on the left. The Blades cleared their lines at the expense of a corner on the opposite side, that Luck Staniforth played short to Grant, whose dipping cross was met by Harriet Scott at the back post, who headed the visitors in front.

Scott has been playing out of position while Birmingham have had to reorganise themselves because of injuries, but having been restored to her favoured marauding full-back/wing-back role today she excelled. Staniforth was thwarted by Ramsey almost straight from the restart, but just four minutes after Scott had given Blues the lead, she did well to cut the ball back from the bi-line to set up a chance for Staniforth who crashed her shot into the back of the net, via the underside of the crossbar.

Chances went begging for the visitors, as the Blades just about dug in deeply enough to repel a wave of attacks.

Amongst the close calls for the Blades defence, Brianna Visalli probably went closest to adding to the visitors total during the scheduled ninety minutes, after Lucy Whipp, Chloe Arthur and Abbi Grant, knocked the ball around the struggling home defence at will, to set up the lively Blues number ten, who fizzed her shot narrowly past the right hand post and into the side netting.

Jade Pennock let fly with an angled shot in the dying moments of the game, that almost threw United a lifeline, but Hanna Hampton was equal to the effort and got both hands to the ball.

Having come on for the final twenty minutes, Sarah Mayling was causing the hosts all kinds of problems with her direct running... and as the game went into stoppage time, it was Mayling who got free on the left flank, before crossing to Scott, who netted with her second headed goal of the afternoon, to put the tie well and truly out of the Blades reach.

FT: Sheffield United 0 v Birmingham City 3

Footnote:

Added Monday 27th January 2020.

In the draw for the Fifth Round of the Women's FA Cup, Birmingham City have been drawn away against Sunderland, the game is scheduled to be played on Sunday 16th February.

The Blues men's team will face Leicester City away in their Fifth Round tie, in early March, if they get past Coventry City in their replay, at St. Andrew's, next Tuesday night.