Grimsby Town Women cruised into the next round of the Lincolnshire County Cup with an emphatic 15–0 victory over Ropsley Ladies on a dominant afternoon that saw three hat-tricks and A five-goal haul.
FIRST HALF
From the first whistle, it was clear Town meant business. They wasted no time in asserting their authority, and it took just six minutes for them to open the scoring.
A free kick into the box was only half-cleared, falling kindly to Betsy Thomas, who thumped the ball home to mark a memorable first goal for her hometown club.
That strike opened the floodgates. Beth Wharton, a constant threat throughout the first half, netted twice in the space of a minute, first with a clinical finish and then moments later after being teed up by Thomas, who was enjoying a superb opening spell. Alisha Dejonge soon added her name to the scoresheet with a well-taken finish following clever link-up play from Abbie Emslie and Thomas.
Wharton completed her hat-trick before the half-hour mark and added a fourth shortly after, latching onto a rebound after Eden Pedersen’s long-range strike was parried. The pick of the first-half goals came just before the interval when Liv Kershaw sprayed a cross-field ball to Dejonge, who fed Thomas for a powerful long-range effort that made it 7–0 at the half-way stage.
SECOND HALF
The goals continued early in the second half, with substitute Alicia Davis made an immediate impact, crossing for Dejonge to head home her second of the day.
Wharton added her fifth — a great left-footed finish after Leah Wray picked her out with a perfectly judged through ball, before making way for Milly North.
North’s introduction brought fresh energy and a flurry of goals. She opened her account with a composed finish, then added another just three minutes later with a dazzling solo run and finish.
Moments later, she turned provider, squaring the ball for Dejonge to complete her hat-trick.
There was no stopping North, who grabbed her third and fourth in quick succession to cap a 10-minute hat-trick and round off a scintillating personal performance.
Kershaw also got her name on the scoresheet with a thunderous low drive from distance.
While the scoreline was emphatic, credit must be given to Ropsley Women, who, as a newly formed side, showed great spirit and character to keep pushing until the final whistle despite the relentless pressure.
Town: Beth Mullxhi, Liv Kershaw, Chloe Thorpe, Leah Wray, Dani Brighton (46 Welsh), Eden Pedersen, Abbie Emslie, Alisha Dejonge, Laura Flecknor, Betsy Thomas (42 Davis), Beth Wharton (52 North)
Subs not used: Jas Lacey, Sophie Gray
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