Albion Women advanced to the Adobe Women’s FA Cup second round with an excellent win over Knowle Ladies on Sunday.
The Baggies were five in front by the break as goals from Phoebe Warner, Rhianne Oakley, Mariam Mahmood (2), and Simran Jhamat put the visitors in a commanding position.
A controlled second period sealed Albion’s progression, with Oakley adding her second and substitute Ellie May converting a penalty.
The Baggies are back in FA WNL Northern Premier Division action next Sunday where they’ll host Nottingham Forest at the Valley Stadium.
Head coach Siobhan Hodgetts-Still made several changes to begin the FA Cup campaign. Rubie Harris was handed her first start since September, while academy graduate Izzie Whittick was given the nod at right-back.
The Baggies started the game with plenty of attacking vigour. Oakley turned around a promising attack for the hosts, slipping Warner into space for a calm finish past goalkeeper Jess Jenkinson for an opener.
Oakley turned provider into scorer not long after for her first Albion goal, sliding the ball beneath an onrushing Jenkinson, who bid to atone for her scuffed goal-kick.
It was soon the turn of Mahmood to offer some prowess in front of goal, gliding through the Knowle defence before converting past the goalkeeper for a third. Five minutes later, she hit a sumptuous volley into the top corner from the edge of the box to make it 4-0.
Jhamat rounded off an excellent first-half display by heading a Hannah George free-kick low into the net past Jenkinson.
Knowle got one back minutes into the second period as Natalie Gibson slotted home a penalty, but Oakley was soon on hand to resume Albion’s scoring streak. The forward turned her defender before rifling low past Jenkinson for six.
Substitute Ellie May came off the bench to win and then convert a penalty, rounding off a successful afternoon for the Albion.
Starting XI: Miller; Whittick, Reynolds, Green (Evans 56’), George (Rabjohn 56’); Harris, Warner (May 65’), Jhamat (Miller 65’); Rhodes-Andrews (Watkins 56’), Mahmood, Oakley.
