Coventry City Ladies enjoyed a feast of goals in a third round County Cup tie as they romped to a 10-1 win over Stratford Town Ladies. Cherelle Archibald scored her first hat-trick for the Sky Blues whilst Helen Dermody provided three assists to add to her brace of goals. Nicole Tinto chipped in with two goals also with Kelly Henson, Natasha Lynch & Katie Singleton each adding one apiece.
Manager Paul Cudby rang the changes from last weeks FA Cup defeat at Leicester handing Jade Whitfield & Ashleigh Coley their first starts of the season. Kelly-Anne Willis made a welcome return to action after missing 2 months through injury, the Coventry native lined up wide on the left as Kelly Henson returned to her preferred position in the centre of midfield.
A frenetic opening to the match saw Stratford keep the Sky Blues out by the skin of their teeth. A good save denied Tinto in the first 20 seconds and a desperate block was just enough to divert a stinging drive from Archibald. Town couldn't keep Coventry off the score sheet for long though, Dermody was on hand to tap in after Lynch had flung herself full stretch at Willis' left wing cross.
The fourth minute goal however did not herald the floodgates to open, as although Coventry created numerous chances they were unable to convert any of them until 3 minutes from half-time. When the second goal did finally come it was in impressive fashion. Tinto played a lovely ball through to Archibald who left two defenders standing before firing across goal & into the bottom corner.
Two minutes later on the stroke of half-time Natasha Lynch supplied a thundering header to send the Sky Blues in with a 3-0 lead. The inspirational Captain's bullet header met a perfectly placed cross from Willis who looked good in her first start since scoring against Loughborough back in October.
After the break Coventry again took a while to get going. Full back Ashleigh Coley's cross picked out Dermody in front of goal in the 55th minute, Dermody, who'd drifted in from the right, inexplicably had time to take a touch before easily tapping home.
Coventry, who've managed only one clean sheet all season, gifted Stratford a glimmer of hope when Coley was unable to clear a ball that was spinning wickedly in the box. Laura Slowther pounced to slide in & squeeze the ball under substitute goalkeeper Sarah Morgan, who was making her debut, to narrow the deficit to 4-1 on the hour mark.
A goal blitz followed as the Sky Blues scored no less than 6 in the next 20 minutes. Katie Singleton entered the match in place of the returning Willis & promptly went on to score within seconds of her introduction. The lightning quick striker held off a defender & kept her composure to shoot past Anna Jones in the Stratford goal.
Whitfield marked her first appearance of the season with a slide-rule pass into the path of a well-timed Dermody run allowing the winger to pump the ball into the middle where Tinto was waiting to head home for a 6-1 lead with 25 minutes still to play. Dermody played an integral role in the 7th as well, it was her neat side step and pass that laid on a second for Archibald. The rangy striker flicked the ball up & past Jones in the Town goal before tapping the ball into the open net from inside the 6 yard box.
Anna Jones endured a torrid afternoon as the Sky Blues had no fewer than 21 shots on target & the keeper was at fault for Coventry's eighth. Kelly Henson was the beneficiary as Jones fumbled a Singleton effort dropping the ball at the feet of the tireless midfielder who punished the error with aplomb.
Archibald sealed her hat-trick in unusual fashion. Singleton chased what looked like a lost cause to the byline & pulled the ball back to the supporting Natalie Wilcox, her ball into the middle bounced up & Archibald put the ball in with her shoulder. After a long discussion with his assistant the referee signalled that the goal would stand, bringing Archibald's total for the season to seven.
Tinto saved the best for last, placing a delightful lob over Jones from outside the area to leave Coventry in double figures. The Sky Blues will enjoy a week off before returning to League action on January 4th when they will be hoping to continue a rich vein of form that has seen them win eight of nine scoring 33 times in the process.
Team: - Rogers (Morgan 45), Whitfield, Coley, Henson, Lynch (c), Forbes, Dermody (Wilcox 70), Ogle, Archibald, Tinto, Willis (Singleton 61).
Subs Not Used: - Lowe, Bryenton
Coventry City Ladies FC Goals: - Dermody (4 & 55), Archibald (43, 68 & 75), Lynch (45), Singleton (61), Tinto (65 & 81), Henson (74).
Stratford Town Ladies Goal: - Laura Slowther (60)