Suffolk FA Womens Cup Ipswich Town 14 Brantham 0 Ipswich Town Women continued their march towards winning a fifth successive Suffolk FA Women’s Cup trophy with a ruthless 14-0 quarter-final victory over Brantham Athletic at The Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe on Sunday, writes Kieren Standley
Cassie Craddock netted a hat-trick, Georgia Box, Natasha Thomas, Paige Wakefield and Toni-Anne Wayne all hit braces, while Jac Ball, Amy Nash and the returning Amanda Crump completed the rout in new manager Joe Sheehan’s first game in charge.
Ipswich took the lead as new signings Nash and Box linked up, with the latter turning home after a dangerous delivery from the right. Town doubled their advantage ten minutes later as Wayne - who was causing the visitors no end of problems - showed great feet in the area before lashing home. Goal number three arrived soon after as Craddock drove towards goal and her subsequent shot caught out Imps keeper’ Julia Beavis.
Wakefield was next to extend the Blues’ lead as her powerful dipping volley gave Beavis no chance from twenty-yards. Four minutes later Town made it five as Wayne held the ball up for Craddock, who obliged by calmly slotting the ball under the stranded Brantham goalkeeper. Town’s sixth came shortly after through a rare scorer as full-back Ball bombed on from defence before firing through the hands of Beavis from outside the area. The Blues capped off a scintillating half in the final moments as top scorer Thomas found herself free in the area before smashing the ball in the top left corner.
Blues boss Sheehan deployed five rolling substitutes at half-time but his side took twenty minutes to extend their already comfortable lead as Wakefield’s improvised overhead kick found it’s way in through a crowd of bodies. Soon after, Craddock completed her hat-trick with a stunning half-volley from the edge of the area. Nash soon made it ten with her first goal for the club as she wriggled free of her marker before firing low underneath Beavis. Two minutes later Wayne notched her second of an impressive afternoon as she turned home Sophie Welton’s right-wing cross. Ipswich scored their third goal in four minutes just moments later as Thomas rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into an empty net.
Crump, on her first appearance for the club since September, made it thirteen in the closing stages of the game as she cut in from the right and unleashed a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner. Then in the dying seconds, Box capped off the affair with a flicked header into the bottom corner.
The result sees Town comfortably into the hat for the semi-final draw on Thursday where they await either AFC Sudbury, Haverhill Rovers or Needham Market.
Town: Clarke (Fagg), Moore, Arnoup (Cooper), Cage (Stretch), Ball, Wakefield, Craddock (Crump), Nash (Welton), Box, Thomas, Wayne.
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