News

Sheffield FC’s Women had a wasted journey on Sunday afternoon, as they headed to Ilkeston Town, scored NINE goals in 40 minutes and came home with nothing. Why? Sad to say Ilkeston’s fortunes are at an all-time low, and started the game with just EIGHT players, three of which were carrying injuries.

It goes without saying that this was one-way traffic from the off, with Ilkeston setting up with an offside line literally on halfway, giving Sheffield the frustrating task of having to time every run to perfection.

Club took the lead on 6 minutes, Tilly Hallas-Potts with a lovely turn on the edge of the area to then poke one through to Stacey Buxton, who finished first time into the top corner. Three minutes later it was two, Jacey Haynes with a good ball into the box and Hallas-Potts tapping the ball in, with a third coming on 17 minutes as Brooke Smith’s offside beating through ball allowing Lucy Cook to take it on and finish with ease.

21 minutes gone and it was 4-0, Haynes with another assist following a run down the left, squaring for Buxton to tap in her second. Two minutes later and 5-0, a mirror image of the fourth with Cook bursting down the line, passing the ball into the box for Hallas-Potts to get her second. The sixth came on the half hour mark, Buxton repaying Haynes with an assist, the winger breaking through to go one on one with the keeper Emily Edmonds to slot it away.

On 35 minutes Lucy Cook got her second, a solo run from the halfway line, again making it look easy for Sheffield’s seventh. With the restarts becoming increasingly laborious for the hosts it was a matter of time before the white flag went up, Club added an eighth on 40 minutes through Buxton via a Halima Essa assist, whilst Essa made it 9-0 following a tee-up from Amy Nelson seconds later. It proved too much for Ilkeston, two players limping off to reduce them to six on the field of play, leaving referee Mark Hilton with little choice but to blow for an abandonment five minutes before the break.

Given the circumstances it was a very disappointing day for Graham Abercrombie’s side, and an unavoidable one for Ilkeston who have indicated their season could meet a premature end if their recruitment and injury problems do not improve, overall, it was not a very good advert for the East Midlands Women’s Regional League.

Ilkeston Town: 1 Emily Edmonds, 2 Julie Lee, 3 Shannon Pike, 4 Anna Desnos, 8 Paige Rogers, 11 Tegan Eaglefield, 19 Jayde Clegg ©, 20 Tyla-Asha Peters.

Sheffield FC: 1 Ellie Sharpe, 2 Pip Cassidy, 4 Nicole Kemp ©, 5 Louisa Anderson, 6 Tilly Hallas-Potts, 8 Halima Essa, 11 Lucy Cook, 12 Stacey Buxton, 15 Emily Cahill, 17 Brooke Smith, 21 Jacey Haynes.

Subs: 7 Sami Brooks, 9 Amy Nelson, 13 Leah Kellogg, 14 Caitlyn Douglas, 18 Freya Wilson.

Attendance: 16

Referee: Mark Hilton.