The Coventry City Ladies extended their winning streak to five games with an explosive 6-0 victory away to Solihull Ladies in the second round of the County Cup. Two goals each from Helen Dermody & Cherelle Archibald led the way with Nicole Tinto & Jade Formaston chipping in with one apiece.
Dermody caused Solihull plenty of problems from the off with some tantalising runs down the left flank & her attacking play was rewarded when she opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Jade Ogle had feinted to shoot but instead picked out Dermody who took a touch before firing into the roof of the net.
Archibald doubled the lead in the 40th minute courtesy of a Kelly Henson through ball. Coventry's dominance continued after the break & they scored their third almost immediately from the restart with a Dermody volly from Natalie Wilcox's right wing cross.
Nicole Tinto saw her 53rd minute right foot effort parried but reacted first to the rebound & finished, this time with her left foot, into the empty net for her first senior goal & extending City's lead to a comfortable 4-0. Jade Formaston appears to have rediscovered the touch that saw her top the Sky Blues' scoring charts last season. After being brought down on the edge of the D, the in form winger somehow managed to scoop the ball over the keeper into the net for her third goal in the last 5 games.
Formaston also played a huge part in the sixth and final goal of the game. It was her laser-like effort from 25 yards that rattled the crossbar dropping kindly for Archibald to smash home from close range. Injured goalkeeper Nina Robery, who underwent successful midweek surgery on her broken right leg, was given permission by her Doctor to venture out for 15 minutes & caught the closing stages of the match to the delight of her team-mates and the travelling support alike.
The result marks the first time this season that the Sky Blues have kept a clean sheet & Manager Paul Cudby was delighted with his Captain's performance, "(Natasha) Lynch was first class organising the defence throughout. This kind of game is a potential banana skin, especially in such poor conditions but we played some good football & scored some great goals against well organised opposition".
Cudby continued, singling Dermody out for her game breaking performance but trying to keep his player's focused "H, in particular, was tremendous & the whole team can be pleased by their performance but next week will be much tougher". City travel to take on TNS & Shrewsbury Town in the second round of the Women's FA Cup & will be looking for a similar outcome to their League fixture from earlier in the season when Dermody & Formaston goals helped them to a 2-1 win.
Team: - Rogers, Bryenton, Forbes, Henson, Lynch (c), Cockayne, Wilcox, Ogle, Archibald, Tinto, Dermody (Formaston 60).
Subs Not Used: - Saulter.
Goals: - Dermody (25,46), Archibald (40,70), Tinto (53), Formaston (67).
Bookings: - None.
Red Cards: - None.
Coventry Copsewood were also in County Cup action. They were at home to County Cup Champions for ther last nine successive years Birmingham City.
The game had to be held up after a bad calf injury was sustained by the referee in the 31st minute. Birmingham City eventually won 7-1 with goals from Cloey Foster (2), Chritia Torkildsen (2), Keely Lowe, Dannie Bird, and Amy McCann.