Our Women’s First Team progressed into the second qualifying round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on Sunday, with a 4-2 victory over Lower Hopton at home.

Braces from both Beth Wharton and Abbie Emslie completed the perfect comeback for the Mariners who saw themselves 2-0 down within 25 minutes.

Lower Hopton started the game the stronger side, capitalising on two chances to give themselves a comfortable advantage early in the game.

The first real chance for the Mariners came just after the half an hour mark, with Pariss Welsh striking, but her effort headed wide.

Town began to put more pressure on the visiting side from then on, with Laura Flecknor and Lily Jacklin both having efforts on goal.

Wharton got one back for the Mariners following a defence-splitting pass from Flecknor that fell straight to the striker and she was able to calmly slot home.

The equaliser was scored before the half-time whistle blew, with an almost identical opportunity for Wharton to latch onto an oncoming through ball and poke the ball home to level the score going into the break.

Winger Jacklin had the first effort of the second-half, but her effort headed straight into the hands of the visiting keeper.

It wasn’t long till the Mariners scored a third, with Emslie being in the right place at the right time to tap the ball into the net from close range when the Lower Hopton shot-stopper couldn’t hold onto the ball from a previous Town effort.

Emslie was on target again 10 minutes later. Wharton’s rasping shot ricocheted off the post and it was Emslie who was there, again, to slot the ball home for the rebound.

The visitors had a golden opportunity to close the gap with plenty of time left in the game, but the forward, who found herself alone in the box, blazed her effort over the bar.

Wharton was hungry for a hattrick when the opportunity fell to her to connect with a through ball from captain Dani Brighton. Her effort lacked power, though and was comfortable for the Lower Hopton keeper.

The Mariners’ second-half performance proved too much for the visiting side and Town progressed through to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup, where they will face Ossett in another home tie.

Town: C. Gray, Dalton (Smith, 60), Thorpe, Wray (Barker, 60), Kershaw (S. Gray), Pariss, Brighton, Flecknor (Fawcett 90+2’), Emslie, Jacklin (Swallow, 57), Wharton