Victory saw them progress to the third round of the Hallamshire County Cup, and it didn’t take long for their afternoon to look like it could be a positive one.
The Owlesses looked strong from the start, consistently creating chances and hitting the woodwork three times in the opening fifteen minutes. Nicole Shaw was denied by the post twice before Parkgate goalkeeper Kacie-Rae Townsley did brilliantly to tip Izzy Tomlinson’s effort onto the bar.
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The opening goal soon followed when Molly Crossland played the ball forward, searching for Shaw and Amy Broomhead, who had both made brilliant runs. It was Broomhead who latched onto the ball, and whose deflected finish nestled in the goal.
The home team kept probing and doubled their lead shortly after. Shaw played Eve Bennett through, and the winger did well to battle strongly and finish under pressure from the advancing Townsley.
Wednesday were dominant in midfield, with Tomlinson - stepping up from the Under 18s for her senior debut - providing great energy and Jodie Stancill pulling the strings. For Wednesday’s third, Stancill fought well to win the ball back, releasing Bennett who beat her defender before sliding across to Broomhead to finish well.
Across the pitch, the Owlesses showed great attitude after last weekend’s disappointing loss in the league. They were winning their individual battles and working well as a team. Crossland, determined to make first contact with Annie Hall’s corner, knocked the ball down for Broomhead who made it 4-0, completing an impressive first-half hat-trick. She’s now on six for the season.
Wednesday went into half-time with a 4-0 lead, and it didn’t flatter them. Townsley was busy throughout the half, making a plethora of impressive saves, and it would’ve been more than four at the break if not for her.
The home team couldn’t have put in a better first-half performance, and it might have been tempting to take their foot off of the gas in the second 45. Instead, they made it five with their first attack. Half-time substitutes, Abbie Hastie and Courtney Kaye, were both involved, with Hastie battling well in midfield before some neat link-up play from Kaye and Bennett. The latter played the ball to Shaw, who deservedly got her goal after coming close several times in the first half.
At 5-0, the game was out of Parkgate’s reach, but the Tier 8 side did show some promise in the second half. Nevaeh Nall ran through powerfully, before being confronted by Holly Coughlan - who did well to not lose her concentration after having a quiet game. On another occasion, Olivia Turner closed down Coughlan and the ball could’ve gone anywhere but fortunately rolled out for a corner.
Coughlan’s opposite number, Townsley, remained busy too, making great saves to deny Bennett, Shaw and Kaye respectively from increasing Wednesday’s lead.
The referee blew for full time, meaning a five-star performance from Owlesses eased them into the third round of the County Cup. That’s 5-0 wins for both the women and the men’s team, marking a great weekend for Wednesday. There was another positive for the Owlesses, too, as player-coach Jess Birtles returned to action for her first appearance of the season after a lengthy injury.
This Owlesses performance showed no sign of a team in transition after the amicable departure of Kieron Lee earlier this week. The Owlesses’ first all-female coaching staff will take on their first league game next week, away at Cleethorpes Town.
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