Lincoln United were dumped out of the FAWNL plate in round one on Sunday afternoon as they faced a rampant Aston Villa Academy.
The game finished 4-1 and it’s hard to argue with the score-line as the visitors were the better side and took their chances well.
Caretaker manager Chris Funnel oversaw an emphatic 5-1 win on Thursday night against their local rivals Lincoln City, and The Whites looked to build momentum when Villa came to town. Consistency is something the whites have struggled with so far, today would’ve been the first time they’ve won back to back this season.
A Strong Villa Opponent:
The visitors started their first half dominance from the outset with their first shot of the game coming four minutes in. The move began with a tidy switch out to the right where the winger was able to drive and play a good ball towards the middle where an effort from outside the box flew just over.
Aston Villa capitalised on their opening dominance with a goal on the 13th minute following a great run on the left and a cross to the striker who struck a sweet half volley into the roof of the net. It got worse for the hosts 24 minutes in as they were punished once again. The Villa midfielder worked hard to drive into the box but was controversially denied a penalty after going down in the box, she proceeded to get up and assist the attacker who simply finished with a slotted shot to the keepers right leaving her rooted to the spot.
No Comeback This Week:
Having come from behind in against City in midweek, the home fans were hoping for the same again and it became a possibility when they scored less than ten minutes into the half, halving the deficit. The goal came via Hayes who was played completely through one on one, she coolly placed her effort into the net. Lincoln pushed for an equaliser but were dealt a sucker-punch on the 70th minute mark. It was a great goal for Villa, which gave them the two goal cushion that they needed going into the last 20. A deep cross from the left was met and firmly volleyed home which evaded Hood.
Following a handful of great chances for Villa, they wrapped the game up in the 82nd minute. Confusion at the back between the keeper and her defence gave the striker a tap-in to an empty net as she completed her hattrick and gave her team a fourth.
The focus is now fully back to the league for The Whites, who face Sutton Coldfield Town on the 6th October. A win could take them as high as 6th in the league as they currently occupy 8th place.
Feature Image Credit: Ed Mayes Photography