This Sunday, York City Ladies First Team welcomed tier 6, Leeds Modernians in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. With almost three-hundred fans in attendance, the team were keen to start quick, and come away victorious. In the opening five minutes York came close with a chance from Bell, forcing a save from the opposition keeper. Despite the downpour of rain, York kept pushing, with Hardcastle and Watt linking up five minutes later to win a corner. Leeds Modernians kept their structure well throughout the first half and were difficult to break down in the final third. In the twenty-fourth minute Bolton-Woollam made a crucial save to keep the score level, as both sides battled for an opener. Bentley applied pressure infront of goal but the scoreline remained goalless going into half time.
York came out more fearlesslessly in the second half. Only four minutes in, Bentley played a ball to Astle, which was taken calmly around the defender and slotted into the bottom corner to put the team ahead. Now dominating the game, York applied pressure in the opposition half with Bentley and Watt bouncing off Shaw and Buckle to utilise the space given by Leeds. An exceptional chance in the remaining twenty minutes saw York come close again, with a through ball from Trickett, which could not be capitalised on. Buckle then came close with a header from the corner, further testing the Leeds Modernians goalkeeper. Martin and Blundell were subbed on in the remaining fifteen minutes of the game to help York secure the win, despite the mounting pressure from the opposition. After securing a 1-0 win, the team are through to the second round proper of the Adobe FA Cup, with the next tie being drawn at 7pm on Monday the 27th of October. The first team look to continue their positive run, in front of the incredible home crowd, next Sunday 2nd November against Stockport County at home.
The Development Team were also in action at home, welcoming Altofts Ladies for a 2pm kick off. The team had a hard battle ahead of them, with an exceptionally even first half. Daisy Masefield scored not one, but two exceptional goals to equal the scoreline going into half time. The first goal came when Masefield drove forward past three players before slotting a tidy finish into the bottom corner. The second goal came with the goalkeeper off her line, when Masefield saw another opportunity to hit the target from over thirty yards out, firing the shot into the back post. The opposition also finished their two chances, going into half-time 2-2. The second half commenced with all left to play for, but unfortunately the game did not go as planned and the team ran out 2-5 by the end of the match. Some individual errors and some unfortunate missed chances infront of goal meant that York could not captalise. Work to be done in training in an attempt to put it right next week, when the team host Farsley FC Women at home.
The Reserve Team are back in action next week, travelling to Stoke to play Stoke City Development for a 2pm kick off.