Hull City Ladies started their FAWNL Cup campaign with an emphatic victory over Doncaster Belles, on Tuesday night
The first game of Group S of the revamped competition, City showed their dominance from the opening stages against their Tier 4 opponents. Hope Knight had already had two sights at goal before her first went in on 15 minutes.
Izzy Gigg broke well down the right hand side, drilling a pass in to the feet of Haywood, who deftly flicked it around the corner for Knight. Knight dummied her return, spinning on to her left foot and drilling low in to the bottom corner
The Belles responded well with a couple of good chances, Jodie Gregory firing wide from a low strike in the area and moments later, Sugden-Brook had to remain alert to clear well off the line from a powerful header from a corner
Knight then scored her second. Starting the move by pinching the ball from the Belles midfield and setting Haywood who set away the willing Ackroyd – a driven cross picked out Knight again who rolled it between the defenders legs before slotting home
HT 2-0
No better way to start the second half then with a goal to settle the game down. A flowing passing move from one box up the pitch. Ackroyd found Haywood who slid in the on running Tanser who, as was the theme of the night, calmly slotted the ball low in to the goal
Just minutes later the same link up saw Tanser storming in to the area, this time her effort flashed high across goal
The fourth came on the 65th minute. Tanser and Haywood again linking on the edge of the area, before this time Tanser cut the ball back to the expectant Knight to tap home her hat trick goal
Changes were rung after that – Maya and Evie Akrill, making their senior debuts, Lily Cockerill, Alex Gatt and Amy Wilson – who made just her second appearance in her return from a major knee injury.
Doncaster did get one back. A stunning first time strike from Abadi from 25 yards that just flew
It wasn’t however to dampen the Tigresses night, as 16 year old Maiya Akrill raced through to score her first senior goal and to round off the night
FT 5-1
Manager Chris Hames spoke after the final whistle:
“I am proud of the performance. We set certain standards here and, whilst it can sometimes be easy to take your foot off in these moments, it is crucial to us that we always keep trying to accelerate through it – which we did tonight. Some of the football just had me grinning, which is a good feeling
We need to take what we have done, these relationships that are building, from tonight and the weekend in to Sundays game. It is going to be tough – so full confidence and good prep are crucial for us”
Photography by Peter North