West Bromwich Albion Women head coach Siobhan Hodgetts-Still believes that her side could have “easily scored double figures” in their 7-1 win away to Knowle Ladies to move into the second round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.
The third-tier Baggies were victorious over the sixth-tier Solihull-based outfit on Sunday, November 3 to set up a tie against fourth-tier Worcester City on Sunday, November 24.
Their breakthrough came after four minutes, when Phoebe Warner opened the scoring for Albion, after latching onto a through ball from Rhianne Oakley, who then turned from provider to goalscorer to double their lead after 33 minutes.
Embed from Getty ImagesThree goals then came in quick succession when a Mariam Mahmood double on the 40th and 41st minutes extended the lead to four, before Simran Jhamat headed into the far corner from a free-kick after 42 minutes.
The hosts got one back through a 48th-minute penalty, before Oakley doubled her tally just before the hour mark, after two earlier disallowed goals.
Ellie May then rounded out the victory with a penalty with ten minutes to spare.
Ellie May from the spot! She wins a penalty before stepping up to drive low past Jenkinson.
— West Bromwich Albion Women (@WBAWomen) November 3, 2024
🔴 1-7 💙🤍 | (80')
“I thought it was a convincing win, and we dominated the game throughout. We created and scored some very good goals too, so credit to the team, and into the next round we go,” she said.
“I think we created some really good moments. I think if I’m being critical, I think we probably could have scored a few more as well. It could have been easily double figures.
“But credit to the opposition, who battled well right to the end, and the goalkeeper who pulled off a few good saves.
“We have to take the positives from getting into those areas in the first place and putting ourselves into those positions, and I thought we scored seven good goals,” said Hodgetts-Still.
Goals have been hard to come by for the seventh-placed Baggies this season, scoring just 16 in 10 games, only three of those away from home.
Hodgetts-Still will be hoping that her side, which has struggled to create chances this season, will be able to carry on that form into their huge Women’s National League Northern Premier Division tie with high-flying Nottingham Forest on Sunday, November 10.
Forest are unbeaten this season, and sit second behind Albion’s bitter rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Hodgetts-Still has warned her team not to respect them too much.
“I think, look, we have to acknowledge that they’re a good side and where they’re sitting in the table, but we can’t show them that respect, really.
“We’ve got to go out there and put on a performance and battle individually and together as a team,” she said.
“I think if we work hard, like I know we do, and our out-of-possession qualities are good, then it’s just about recognising those in-possession moments if we can actually look after the ball when we do regain it.
“It’s about us putting on a performance, and taking some of these in possession moments today, and taking the game to them.”
