Rugby Borough 0, Liverpool FC Women 2: Late Heroics Sees Reds Advance
Rugby Borough proved to be a stubborn side to break down, but a couple moments of brilliance from Marie Höbinger and Mia Enderby sees Liverpool through to the sixth round of the Adobe FA Women’s Cup.
Rugby Borough 0 - 2 Liverpool
Rugby Borough:
Liverpool: Höbinger 84’, Enderby 92’
Pre-Match
The Liverpool FC Women head back on the road to the Birmingham area to take on the lasses from Rugby Borough FC in the fifth round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The Reds have already beaten West Ham twice in the past week, first a thrashing the the cup last Sunday before narrowly defeating the Hammers in league play in midweek. A win against Rugby Borough would be a grand way to finish out the busy week.
With the Reds taking on the lowest ranked team left in the competition, Matt Beard has rung in the changes. Rachael Laws gets a start in net, while Yana Daniels returns from injury to play right wing back. Alejandra Bernabé gets her first action in a Liverpool kit since joining the Reds on loan from Chelsea just over a week ago, with captain Taylor Hinds tucking into the center of defense. Fellow Chelsea loanee Julia Bartel plays alongside youngster Zara Shaw and Fuka Nagano in midfield. Sophie Roman Haug gets her fist start since returning from injury, partnering with Cornelia Kapocs up front.
First Half
Jenna Clark gets caught on the ball in the opening minute as it bobbles on the astroturf and gets stuck under her foot. Katy Morris digs the ball out but her touch forward puts the ball in range of Rachael Laws to come clear at the top of the box. The Reds are going to have to adjust to the way the ball bobbles on this turf.
After the early scare it has been Liverpool dominating possession as expected. Taylor Hinds is playing more as a midfielder than defender, often getting higher up the pitch than Shaw and Nagano. She is linking up well with Bernabé on the left, with the Reds concentrating attacks down that side.
Rugby Borough doing a good job to stay compact and frustrate Liverpool as they get near the box. Zara Shaw looks to break through the defense by herself, showing some fancy footwork to beat several players on the dribble before a defender touches it behind for a corner. It’s a good ball in from the set piece, but no attacking player gets on the end of it.
Sophie Roman Haug puts in a delicious delivery from the right side, and Alejandra Bernabé comes flying in to try and get to the end of it. Kelis Barton shows great bravery, throwing her body on the line to just put Bernabé off the ball.
Cornelia Kapocs earns a corner after making a great run down the left channel. The ball in is again a good one, but Rugby Borough defend the chance well. Liverpool lose the ball as they attempt to retain possession in the attacking third and Rugby Borough burst forward. They get it all the way forward and Jenna Clark is forced to head the ball out for a corner.
Liverpool still seem to be struggling mightily to get the weight of their passes correct on this turf. All too often players are having to take the sting out of the ball or come back to the ball, wasting precious moments to build on the attack.
Alejandra Bernabé earns a foul in the left channel after getting her heel trod on. Taylor Hinds puts a great delivery into the box and Gemma Bonner goes full stretch to try and get a touch. It is the Rugby Borough defender challenging Bonner that sees the ball come off of her foot and towards her own goal. Thankfully for the defender, the ball goes off the knee of goalkeeper Nyla Peterkin and caroms wide of the goal mouth.
OFF THE POST! The Reds are ramping things up now. Some nice interplay through the middle sets up Sophie Roman Haug to take a first time strike from just outside the box with a defender challenging. She gets great contact on the ball and has the goalkeeper rooted, but the strong shot bangs off the post.
Rugby Borough seem to be fading a bit late in the first half, dropping off more and giving Liverpool room to ping the ball around a bit. The Reds are probing for an opening closer and closer to the box now.
Ooh, Cornelia Kapocs makes a great turn and slots the ball through for the run of Sophie Roman Haugh. The Norwegian clearly gets taken down by a defender from behind near the top of the box but the referee misses the foul as the ball rolls through to the goalkeeper.
Liverpool earn a late corner, and the delivery in floats under the crossbar with the goalkeeper forced to punch it away. The Reds again fail to regain possession and Rugby Borough look to charge forward. Alejandra Bernabé draws a professional foul to stop the counter and is shown a yellow card.
Alejandra Bernabé sends in a great cross from the left and Sophie Roman Haug gets on the end of it. The striker doesn’t get across the face of her defender, however, and the first time touch is blocked from close range. The ball pops out to Gemma Bonner just inside the box, but the defender skews her effort well wide as the chance goes begging.
That’s the last real action of the first half as Rugby Borough have put on a fierce rearguard to hold Liverpool goalless in the first half.
Second Half
Matt Beard makes a raft of changes at the half. Lucy Parry, Marie Höbinger, Leanne Kiernan, and Mia Enderby all come on. Yana Daniels, Zara Shaw, Alejandra Bernabé, and Cornelia Kapocs all come off. Looks to be a shift in formation to a 4-3-3, with Taylor Hinds stepping out to left back.
Liverpool earn an early corner kick through the effort of Leanne Kiernan. Taylor Hinds swings the ball in and Sophie Roman Haugh is able to head it goalwards. No Liverpool players are near the goalkeeper, however, and she is able to come claim the ball.
Julia Bartel is whacked down in a central area about 30 yards from goal. Fuka Nagano touches it short for Marie Höbinger, and the midfielder drives a delivery into the box for Jenna Clark. The defender smartly touches it into the path of Sophie Roman Haug, who gets a touch to turn it towards to goal. Nyla Peterkin initially fumbles the ball but is able to recover it before any other Liverpool players can pounce.
After a couple of scares for Liverpool off of some poor turnovers, they work the ball forward again. Marie Höbinger plays a good ball for Taylor Hinds on the left, and the fullback drives into the box. She has runners in the middle, but instead elects to drive a shot towards goal from a tight angle and puts it just high and wide. Not sure that was the right choice from the captain.
Liverpool now have eight shots while Rugby Borough have none. Despite the dominance in the shot total, the Reds have not officially put a shot on target.
Leanne Kiernan does well to float past a defender down the right wing before seeing her cross blocked behind for a corner. The Reds play it short and Marie Höbinger drives a poor ball into the box and right at the goalkeeper.
Rugby Borough again stream forward and cause Liverpool problems. Three times the hosts have a crack at goal, with Rachael Laws forced into a good save from close range on the first attempt. The last effort sees the ball loop up for Laws to collect on her goal line. Rugby Borough now have two shots on goal while Liverpool have none almost 75 minutes into the match.
Sophie Roman Haugh gets whistled for...heading the ball? She literally stood there and let the ball hit her head when sandwiched between two defenders.
Jenna Clark tries to dribble the ball out of defense and runs straight into a couple of Rugby Borough players, losing the ball letting the hosts race forward. The Reds have to scramble back to defend the situation.
Mia Enderby receives a ball outside the top of the box, takes a touch, and drives a low shot towards goal. Peterkin is easily able to collect the ball in goal. That is Liverpool’s first shot on goal (it’s the 79th minute).
Whoa now, Liverpool have TWO shots on goal in the span of a minute. Gemma Bonner whips in a cross from the right channel, but it is slightly behind Sophie Roman Haug. The striker manages to get her head to it and put her efforts towards the goal, but it has now power on it, making for an easy save.
OFF THE CROSSBAR! The Reds work it forward well, with Julia Bartel slipping in Leanne Kiernan. The Irish striker takes a touch as she races forward and puts her laces through the ball, but it comes off the underside of the crossbar.
GOAL LIVERPOOL! The Reds FINALLY break through in the 84th minute. Mia Enderby sees her touch go a little too long as she tries to turn inside near the top of the box and Marie Höbinger collects the ball. Höbinger takes a touch and thumps the ball past the goalkeeper from outside the box and sees it nestle just inside the far post!
Sophie Roman Haug is substituted off and immediately walks behind the goal to sign a shirt for one of the Liverpool fans standing there. The Magic of the Cup.
GOAL LIVERPOOL! Marie Höbinger lifts a simple ball over the defense into the box and Mia Enderby runs on to it. The young Englishwoman lashes it on the volley, sending it past the goalkeeper and into the net! Höbinger and Enderby combined for both goals.
Liverpool with some sloppy defending in their box, allowing Rugby Borough to create a scramble in the box. Rachael Laws comes out and is left stranded as the ball pings around before it is finally cleared.
The referee blows for full time as Liverpool advance to the sixth round of the cup.
Final Thoughts
A combination of a feisty Rugby Borough side, Liverpool struggling with the astroturf, and some just plain poor moments from the Reds made this into a much tighter match than most would have expected. Full credit to the hosts for making a great account of themselves.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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