Girls' football review: Blackpool and YMCA

The home side opted to defend with a very high line but Blackpool soon took the lead when Ellie Spooner’s orner was drilled home from close range by Molly McKenna.

Spooner and Gemma Thrower both brought saves from the home keeper and Alexis Hilton went close before Spooner’s powerful run stretched the defence and Beth Stott converted her cross.

An excellent flowing move was finished by Spooner and two minutes later McKenna’s through-ball was emphatically finished by Thrower.

With confidence high, the visitor’s launched attack after attack but were denied by the keeper on four occasions before McKenna sent Gordon through to net a fifth.

With five different scorers so far, Hannah Bettison added her name to the list when she converted Alice Smith’s cross.

The keeper made more good saves before Bettison returned the compliment for Smith to become the seventh Seasider to notch. A minute later Honor Rogerson broke from her own half and calmly scored her first-ever goal for the club.

Rogerson grabbed her second and third, the latter a thunderbolt into the top corner to complete her hat-trick.

A minute later, Spooner’s astute pass sent Smith through to eventually win here duel with the keeper.

The home side’s work rate and enthusiasm never waned, though Rogerson found the back of the net again.

Smith released player of the match Rogerson to net her fifth and BFC’s 11th en route to the quarter-finals.

Blackpool Girls Under-13s werer 7-2 cup winners at Bolton Wanderers, their fourth consecutive win against the team that knocked them out last year.

The goals came thick and fast in the first half, with Lara Newell, Georgia Keenan and an own goal making it 3-0 inside 15 minutes.

Bolton pulled one back with an unstoppable shot but BFC scored again two minutes later. Another long-range Bolton effort made it 4-2.

Blackpool’s in-form strikers Newell and Keenan both scored again before the half-time whistle to make it 6-2.

The home keeper made several impressive saves in the second half before Emily Slater scored with three minutes left.

The impressive Blackpool defence was recognised with Katie Holt being awarded the player of the match.

Blackpool Girls Under-14s also eased into the next round with a comfortable 8-1 win over Clitheroe Wolves.

Minnie Rogers netted four, with two goals for Molly Kelly and one for Isla Makepeace, the eighth coming via an own goal. Maisie Rogers was awarded player of the match.

YMCA Under 13s secured an impressive 4-2 victory against Cadley. YMCA started the stronger and took the lead inside two minutes, when an Ellie McNally corner was rifled home by Honey Griffith.

The visitors started to come back but Olivia Neal, Megan Lewis, Lara Pilling and Phoebe Davies stood firm.

YMCA missed a penalty and still led 1-0 at half time.

Great work from Isabelle Kells on the left saw her beat three defenders before firing home to make it 2-0. Cadley pulled a goal back only for Annabelle Jackson to restore YMCA’s two-goal lead when she converted a cross by strike partner Kells.

The visitors scored again with 10 minutes to go but the final say was YMCA’s as Jackson capped off a fine display after good work from McNally.

YMCA Under -6s fell to a 5-3 defeat at home to free-scoring league leaders Haslingden.

YMCA deservedly took the lead with a strike by Faith Wood, who was inches away from doubling the lead when she thundered an effort against the crossbar.

Haslingden went on the attack and levelled the scores with a penalty. Just before the interval, the visitors netted again t lead 2-0 at half-time.

YMCA started the second half sloppily and Haslingden i ncreased their lead, but YMCA responded well and grabbed a deserved second when Molly Dyer showed great determination to score.

The game continued to swing from end-to-end before Haslingden took a 4-2 lead.

Within two minutes, YMCA pulled one back as Beth Martin fired home after brilliant work down the right by Keira Rouse.

However, in the closing minutes of the game the visitors broke away and notched their fifth.