Spurs Ladies moved into the semi-finals of the Boux Avenue Women’s Cup with another goal feast, this time against Tonbridge Angels on Thursday night.
Angels, from Kent Division One of the South East Counties League, were swept away 14-1 at Cheshunt FC. It's the third time Spurs have hit double-figures already this season.
Karen Hills made plenty of changes - only four regulars started - but the job was done with three goals inside 10 minutes, six by 22 and 8-0 at half-time with both Kelley Blanchflower and Nikita Whinnett claiming hat-tricks.
So the campaign charges on with the team still alive on all cup fronts - FA Women's Premier League Cup, London County Cup and Boux Avenue Cup with the FA Women's Cup to follow next year - and they are joint-top of the FAWPL.
Remember, they reached three cup finals last season and won both the FAWPL Cup and the Boux Avenue Cup, known last season as the Ryman Cup.
Spurs Ladies continued their defence of the Boux Avenue Women’s Cup with a statement-making 14-1 victory against Tonbridge Angels in round two. A much changed line-up saw most of the reserves step into the frame alongside some first-team players, and they put to bed any doubt early on in the tie.
After just six minutes, Kelley Blanchflower picked up possession deep in the final third before racing through on goal and firing across Eleanor Brett into the far corner.
It was 2-0 just one minute later. Shakira Waithe raced down the middle seeing her low strike saved by the feet of Brett, who could do nothing to stop Nikita Whinnett heading in on the rebound. Reaching nine minutes, it was three. Waithe dinked a pass through to Blanchflower whose outside-of-the-boot attempt found its way into the opposite corner of the net.
Blanchflower’s surging run and cross from the left was met by Whinnett, who guided home from close for her second after 14 minutes. Whinnett found a hat-trick just five minutes later after Gunn played her through the middle, and she made no mistake slotting home from close.
Sophie Tudor scored the sixth reaching 22 minutes. Collecting Cheryl Williams’ masterful no-look pass, she side-footed home from 20-yards. Spurs were in seventh-heaven on 26 minutes, Whinnett found Eartha Pond who weaved her way into the six-yard to prod home.
Blanchflower grabbed her hat-trick with only 33 minutes gone with a crisp strike, which made its way in-between the near-post and Brett. Just before the break, Williams floated a cross towards Abbie Bensted, who forced Brett into action with a dipping volley from the edge of the area.
Tonbridge found a response five minutes after the restart, Abigail Skilton pounced onto a loose ball and rolled her attempt over the line from 25-yards. Emily Smith charged up the right finding Williams whose dipper flew past the post, Bensted’s strike looking for the top corner was palmed away, Khyla Brangman’s cross was flicked towards goal by Blanchflower who was kept out by Brett’s fingertips.
Smith’s cross was hooked off the toes of Blanchflower from close range, before she scored her fourth with 30 minutes remaining. Amy Makewell’s driving run and strike hit back off the post leaving Blanchflower to tap home.
Blanchflower’s dangerous low ball across from the right was inadvertently slotted in by Leanne Foster for an own goal after 75 minutes. Williams bagged herself a goal on 83 minutes from 25 yards as her curler dipped into the bottom corner. Brangman’s byline cross saw Makewell tap-in from close with five minutes remaining.
Bensted scored a double in injury time. First collecting Giorgina Baldwin’s splitting pass before drilling off the wet surface into the bottom corner. Then, she struck low and hard from the edge of the area to complete the rout.
Spurs Ladies: Megen Lynch, Emily Smith, Chloe Gunn, Leanne Mabey, Eartha Pond (Amy Makewell 56), Sophie Tudor (Giorgina Baldwin 45), Abbie Bensted, Cheryl Williams, Kelley Blanchflower, Nikita Whinnett (Khyla Brangman 45), Shakira Waithe.
