- City cruise into second round
- Leek brace sends Hourihan’s side on their way
- Logan, Kivel, Holder and Puddefoot also on the mark
Stoke City secured safe passage into the second round of the FA Cup with a scintillating display of quality on Sunday afternoon.
Ellie Leek’s brace, added to goals from Heidi Logan, Roisin Kivel, Molly Holder and Danielle Puddefoot, sealed a 6-0 victory for the Potters against Dunton & Broughton United at Emerys Stadium.
Marie Hourihan’s side recorded a third consecutive win following league successes against Halifax and Derby County, with City losing just once in their last six competitive outings.
Logan and Puddefoot returned to the starting XI in the two changes Hourihan made from the Potters’ 2-1 win at Derby as City looked to build on their good run from the outset against lower ranked opposition.
Inside ten minutes, the Potters were ahead as Leek followed in to tap home an effort at close range after the visitors’ goalkeeper had saved the initial effort.
Kivel went close to City’s second four minutes later with a header from the edge of the area which hit the crossbar before being cleared.
Top goalscorer Logan was soon on the mark, though, notching her ninth goal in as many appearances after meeting the loose ball from Kivel’s initial effort, which had been saved.
On the half hour, Kivel found her way onto the scoresheet after spinning away from her marker and firing a quality finish beyond the Dunton & Broughton goalkeeper.
Two minutes after the restart, Logan went close to scoring a fine individual effort as she skipped past several defenders before placing her finish narrowly wide.
However, a further two minutes passed before Hourihan’s side had their fourth when Kivel’s corner was flicked home by Holder.
Logan’s luck seemed to be out when she fired over from a Leek cross at close range soon after, though City’s domination had them in complete control of the Cup tie as the game entered its latter stages.
Leek made it five 20 minutes from time when she curled home from the edge of the area before another set-piece saw City add their sixth when Puddefoot headed in from an excellent Stamps delivery.
The win sees the Potters go into the hat for the second round draw, with ties taking place on Sunday, November 26, as City look to secure progress to the third round for the third campaign in succession.
Stoke City: Hobson, Molinari (Clements 61), Thompson, Suttie (McDonald 69), Vyse, Puddefoot, Stamps, Holder, Kivel, Leek, Logan (Higginbottom 61).
Subs: Finneran, Tudor, Fahy.