Fylde coast girls help Lancashire to National Cup success

Blackpool and Fylde girls helped defending champions Lancashire Under-16s to win through to the quarter-finals of the English Schools FA National Cup in style.The Red Rose county did so with a comprehensive 7-2 win at home to Cheshire in their second-round tie at Fleetwood Town’s Poolfoot Farm training complex in Thornton.Lancashire were unfazed by a big blow before the game, when they discovered that inspirational captain Chloe Broughton would be ruled out because of injury.Coach Phil Eastwood handed the skipper’s armband to Broughton’s Manchester United team-mate Cara Milne Redhead instead.With a strong win behind them in the first half, Lancashire peppered the Cheshire goal and went in at half-time with a 6-0 lead.Milne Redhead had already hit the post before she opened the scoring with a dipping 30-yard piledriver.Tiggi Gent scored twice as did St George’s High School pupil Tahnee Lucas, who completed the scoring after half-time.Fleetwood High School pupil Emily Slater scored with a header, while Aimee Hodgson was the other Lancashire goalscorer. At the other end, goalkeeper Ellie Etheridge, who attends South Shore Academy, was largely untroubled in the Lancashire goal.With the match already lost at 7-0, Cheshire were able to take advantage of the strong wind in their favour in the second half to grab two late consolation goals from distance.Lancashire U14s are also through to the last eight of the equivalent national competition for their age group, having beaten Northumberland 8-0 last weekend.