Lincoln City Women couldn’t provide a FA Cup upset, losing 5-1 to a strong Derby County Women’s side at Moorlands.
Amy Sims completed a fine hat-trick, alongside a brace from Yasmin Mosby, to knock Lincoln out of the Women’s FA Cup in the First Round.
City came into the game as the underdogs, facing a team from the division above.
It was the Imps’ first game since October 22nd after weather conditions forced a couple of postponements. Their last outing was a dramatic 4-3 win over Lichfield City, which qualified them for the Women’s FA Cup First Round.
Derby County travel to Lincolnshire in fine form, unbeaten in their last four games, sitting 6th in the FAWNL Northern Premier Division.
They came to Moorlands hoping to avoid an upset and advance into the Second Round.
First-Half:
After a minutes’ silence to mark Remembrance Sunday, Derby County’s Yasmin Mosby got the game underway.
It started in even fashion, with Lincoln City’s Poppy Irvine the first goalkeeper to be called into action. She got a strong hand to a low cross, pushing it away from goal, in the 5th minute.
Derby broke the deadlock in the 15th minute as Maria Timms crossed the ball to Amy Sims in the middle of the Imps’ box. Irvine got a hand to the header, but could only push it into the top corner of her goal.
The lead was almost doubled two minutes later as a Irvine clearance hit goalscorer Sims and almost ricocheted into the net. Her blushes were saved as it trickled just wide of the post.
The game fell into a lull as it reached the half-hour mark. Lincoln were defending well and containing the Derby threat, but couldn’t find an attacking outlet.
Molly Sutherland had a golden chance to double the visitors’ lead as she got in-behind the Imps defence, but her shot smacked into the post.
Poppy Irvine was forced into a stunning save, in the 41st minute, as Emily Joyce fired a thunderous long-shot from range. Irvine leaped to her right and pushed the ball over the ball.
Just before the break, Amy Sims scored her and Derby’s second of the game, latching onto a through-ball and beautifully chipping the ball over Irvine.
Second-Half:
The second-half started with a third Derby County goal. Substitute Charlotte Steggles drove a cross into the box, which Yasmin Mosby hit beyond Lincoln City’s Poppy Irvine.
As rain started to descend on Moorlands, it was almost a fourth for the Ewes. Megan Tinsley flashed the ball across the face of goal, but Mosby couldn’t quite reach it at the far-post to add her second so quickly after her first.
However, Lincoln had a goal back ten minutes into the half, as Toni McHamilton added to her 9th goal of the season. Lucy Farrow drove through the Ewes’ defence and fired a shot at Sarah Morgan’s goal. She stopped Farrow’s effort, but parried the ball straight into McHamilton’s pass for a simple tap-in.
McHamilton became the first woman to win Lincoln City’s goal of the month award in October, for her unbelievable long-range strike against Sheffield FC.
Just past the hour mark, Derby restored their three goal advance. Ella Thompson-Moulding blocked a cross, but it fell into the path of Amy Sims, who gracefully completed her hat-trick.
The Ewes gave a debut to 16-year-old Amy Cotton with just under 20 minutes left to play.
In the 80th minute, Derby County were awarded a penalty by referee James Moody. Sinead Fletcher was booked before Mosby confidently stepped-up and converted past an Irvine dive.
Despite a late effort from Lincoln City substitute Neve Hinks, the Imps couldn’t pull another goal back, as Morgan made the save.
Lincoln City Women 5-1 Derby County Women:
Derby County Women proved too much for Lincoln City Women, coming away with a convincing win in the Women’s FA Cup. Toni McHamilton’s second-half strike proved nothing more than a consolation goal, as the visitors took back control to seal a comfortable afternoon’s work.
Lee Mitchell’s team return to Moorlands next Sunday as they host Leafield Athletic in a re-arranged league fixture.