Rockettes 5 Selsey 1
Report by Liam Goodley
The Rockettes stormed into the Quarter Finals of the Women’s Sussex Challenge Cup as they put 5 goals past higher league Selsey at Nyewood Lane.
Early on Chelsea Burr was blocked with her ball into the area by Lou Lou Robson after good work by Isabelle Wheatley on the right.
Millie Carter did well to run at the defence before shooting narrowly over the bar on 5 minutes after beating her marker with ease.
Carter hit another chance low at goal but it was well saved by Millie Delamont in the Selsey net. Annabelle Gracey was the provider from the right wing.
Rhiannon Hambleton beat her marker before bursting down the left but when she made her attempt her right footed chance was poked wide of the near post. Carter then ran beyond the last defender before scooping the ball high and wide from a difficult angle.
Carter won a corner after her cross from the left was searching for Alice Glue but a defender got there first. Carter’s left sided corner hit the outside of the near post and out on 14 minutes.
Gracey missed her defensive header allowing Burr in again for the visitors but she sliced her effort on the bounce well wide on 16 minutes.
Bognor scored though seconds later as Kirsty Willett passed the ball through neatly to Hambleton who sped past her defender before coolly slotting the ball low into the net. A positive start to the Rockettes half.
Wheatley did well to outpace Macie Downs and Willett on the right but after making a good run the chance flew over the crossbar on 25 minutes.
Robson hit another chance from distance with her left foot after neat work from Alice Glue on the attack shortly after.
Bognor extended their lead on 29 minutes. Alice Gue fired in after Robson’s long range freekick into the box was closed down by Hambleton. Glue ran through on the loose ball to shoot into the net.
Carter’s ball was good back to Robson who controlled it well before setting herself up for a shot but unfortunately for her it flew straight at the goalkeeper on 35 minutes.
Isabelle Childs did well to run through on Lucienne Selvester’s forward pass. She sped through under pressure from Downs and she went to ground and after claims of a handball Childs hit the side netting shortly after coming on.
Downs’s long throw-ins were causing problems for the visitors and she found Robson with a throw on 42 minutes but after turning well, her ball into the box bounced wide.
HT 2 – 0
Following a ball hit over the crossbar by the visitors, Robson hit a freekick for the Rockettes into the box searching for Jade Widdowson but the goalkeeper got there first.
Anwen Evans went into the referee’s book on 52 minutes after pulling Hambleton off the ball on the halfway line.
Carter won a penalty after her shot cannoned off a defender and handball appeals were honoured and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Carter did well to shoot low and into the net on 54 minutes.
Carter went down off the ball and required treatment on 63 minutes allowing the players to have a well deserved drinks break.
On 66 minutes another long freekick into the box was ran onto by Megan Thompson who came on for Steph Madden on 64 minutes, but the ball rolled instead to the goalkeeper.
A long ball through the middle saw Downs try to head it out but instead it found the run of Isabelle Childs who hit it high into the net from the edge of the area on 69 minutes.
Nicole Robinson was shown a yellow card after the goal for kicking the ball out of touch.
Carter’s 75th minute high in-swinging corner had to be palmed out by the goalkeeper.
On 78 minutes Madden came back on for the injured Danielle Bradshaw.
Bognor got their fourth on 81 minutes as Jade Widdowson steered home Carter’s corner from the right with a fine scissor kick, hitting it powerfully low into the net.
The Rockettes extended their lead and made it five on 84 minutes when a swift cross by Hambleton from the left found the boot of Glue who guided it high into the net on the half volley.
Carter and Thompson both went close with long range shots right at the end but both went wide.
Bognor held onto their 5 – 1 win to move into the quarter finals of the Women’s Sussex Challenge Cup. Another impressive performance for those women in green and white. The Rockettes are next in action on Sunday 24th November at Nyewood Lane against Montpelier Villa at 2pm, before welcoming Millwall in the League Cup the following week on Sunday 1st December at 2pm.
FT 5 – 1
Rockettes: 24 Nicole Robinson, 11 Annie Gracey, 8 Danielle Bradshaw, 4 Macie Downs, 3 Kirsty Willett, 13 Jade Widdowson, 5 Lou Lou Robson, 15 Steph Madden, 10 Rhiannon Hambleton, 7 Millie Carter, 2 Alice Glue
Subs: 19 Gracie White, 1 Amelia Atterbury, 9 Megan Thompson, 6 Molly Thorns, 21 Georgia Selby
