City stroll through in FA Cup.

Tooting Bec 2

Oxford City 1

Oxford City exit the Women’s FA Cup after a tight affair with Tooting Bec was decided by injury-time defeat. 

The game started as a tight affair, with both sides battling for early control, but no real threats to either keeper. The first real chance fell to Emily Harris on 12 minutes, as she darted down the left wing, and took aim from an awkward angle, but it was met by the gloves of Bec’s number one. A similar effort, but on the right side, fell to Meira Ashby moments later, but that strike met the same fate. 

City continued to look the more dangerous side, with deliveries coming in from both sides from Harris looking the most likely source of a goal for the Hoops. At the other end, the hosts tried to break down the City defence, but created little threat to Aimee Flood, their only real chance in the opening 20 minutes coming as an unmarked edge-of-the-area effort on 18 minutes, which they directed wide. 

Much of the next 10 minutes unfolded in a similar fashion to the opening 20, but two goals in quick succession followed as the game ticked over the half hour mark. The first of those fell to City, with an excellent through ball from Janaye Beaufort finding White, who calmly slotted home from just inside the box to take the lead on 33 minutes. 

Moments after the restart, however, the hosts were able to level, as they found themselves one-on-one with Flood. The ‘keeper did well to get a glove to the first effort, but the follow-up from Bryony Bancroft could not be kept out, with the ball crossing the line on 35 minutes to wipe White’s opener. 

Little excitement followed, with the biggest chance to separate the teams at the break falling to Bec on 43 minutes, with a chance they probably should have scored from. It was a central, unmarked effort in the box which they could not keep down, a decisive moment in sending the teams in at the half on level footing. 

Half-time: Tooting Bec 1-1 Oxford City. 

In one of the changes at the half for City, Danielle Puddefoot entered the field, and her impact was almost instant as she took aim from midway into the Bec half with a mighty effort which fell narrowly off target. 

City then exercised control, but just couldn’t find the final action, with Harris and White looking dangerous when they linked up, and Kate Parsons going close, but losing out in the race between her and Tooting’s keeper. 

Puddefoot attempted again, from a similar range to her early second half effort, but that effort met the same fate on 70 minutes. It was then Harris to go close on 75 minutes, as she was found by a beautiful ball from Parsons, cut in and took aim, but the keeper caught the effort which looped towards the top corner. 

City continued to root much of the play in the hosts’ half, but as the game approached the 90, it was looking evermore certain to not be City’s day. With that, the hosts looked stronger going forward in the closing five, with their desire to go on to find the winner evident with their injury time goal. 

It was a free-kick, delivered from the left-hand-side, that made first contact with Flood’s gloves, but the hosts were able to head the rebound home to secure themselves a place in the next round. 

Not our day, but we’ll bounce back.

City XI: Aimee Flood, Poppy Gorman, Reese Ayres (Kasha Petit 90+2’), Hermione Prescott-Luke, Billie Bough-French, Anna O’Leary (Danielle Puddefoot 46’), Grace Craven ©, Janaye Beaufort, Emily Harris, Meira Ashby (Kate Parsons 46’), Ellie White. 

Subs unused: Sophie Lester, Sammy Dziminowicz.