Moulton Ladies travelled to Kingsthorpe Rec after a week of very wet weather. 30 minutes before kick off a cloudburst lasting about 10 minutes hit the players during their warmup. This made the already very wet pitch very very soft and uneven.
After 15 minutes of scrappy play in these difficult conditions , the game was still scoreless. After 22 minutes it was all Moulton without much goal threat. after 26 minutes Jade decided to make one of her runs, she slid a superb ball through and Steph ran on to it, she feinted one way then the other and her shot hit the keeper and went to safety.
Half an hour had gone when a careless clearance by a Jets defender found Amy V who played a short pass to Steph. Steph adjusted her feet
and hit a tremendous shot into the top corner. 1-0 Moulton and it looked as though more goals would come. After 40 minutes a good move down the right with Charlotte and Georgia involved saw Georgia slide over a pinpoint cross that appeared to be square or even backwards, and Steph calmly flicked into the net. Flag went up and the ref disallowed it presumably for offside. Half time 1-0 Moulton.
Just 7 minutes into 2nd half Jets number 8 decided to have a long range shot from about 30 yards, the bounce seemed to confuse Moulton's keeper and ended up in the net, 1-1. With this Jets seemed to take some confidence when they hadn't really been in the game.
After 61 minutes Moulton made some substitutions to block up the centre of midfield in the absence of Kim. Just one minute later Steph was found and just like the first goal, she adjusted the ball position and curled a shot into the top corner again 2-1 Moulton. Surely they would now take charge of the game. But no, after 68 minutes back came the Jets and number 15 hit a left foot shot from outside the area which found the corner of the net to make it 2-2.
After 81 minutes some good work by Amy and Georgia saw them find Steph but this time she scuffed her shot round the post. 2 minutes later Steph went on a run and as she went towards the box with the goal at her mercy she was wiped out by Jets number 14 who was booked rather than sent off. Up stepped Georgia and from about 23 yards she hit an unstoppable free kick into the top corner of the Jets net. 3-2 Moulton.
Final few minutes was scrappy without much goalmouth action and Moulton go through into the next round.
It was pleasing to see the defence playing well and not giving away needless corners or free kicks. Moulton's passing game was difficult in these ground conditions but a win is a win. Well played Ladies and Georgia narrowly took Player of the Match with Steph running her very close.