Four-star Pompey ease into second round of The Women's FA Cup

Pompey eased into the second round of The Women’s FA Cup with a 4-0 victory over Cheltenham at a blustery Fratton Park on Sunday.

The Blues dominated most of the contest, with Zoe Barratt and Kerry Beattie both finding the target inside the opening 15 minutes.

Georgie Freeland then came off the bench in the second half to score from a long-range free-kick, before Esta Roberts wrapped up a convincing win late on.

Jay Sadler made four changes from the side that eased to victory against the same side in the league seven days earlier.

Defenders Annie Wilding and Summer Hughes joined midfield duo Freya Jones and Amelia Hazard in returning to the starting line-up.

Arabella Suttie, Freeland, Jemima Dahou and Reanna Blades dropped to a strong-looking bench that also included the fit-again Annie Hutchings.

Just like the previous weekend, it was the Robins who had the first decent chance, as Chloe Snook was teed-up by Leo Joyce to fire into the side netting.

But unlike that contest, the hosts were the side to open the scoring on this occasion, with the breakthrough coming in just the ninth minute.

Hughes did brilliantly on the right to beat a couple of players and slip a pass through for Barratt to emphatically fire home.

It might have got even better for Pompey moments later when Alisha Ware cut the ball back for Jones, but her close-range effort was hit straight at Lily Felgate.

Yet the Blues did increase their advantage on 13 minutes, with Hughes finding Beattie to crash a shot into the net off the underside of the bar.

Their opponents tried to hit back and Hermione Cull was quickly off her line to beat Joyce to reaching Snook’s threaded pass.

It was soon the home side on the attack again, though, and Jones once again found the gloves of Felgate after having the ball laid into her path by Barratt.

And Ware then swung in a corner that was bending straight into the net before the keeper managed to punch it clear.

It was the turn of Hughes to be denied by Felgate next after Hazard’s delivery into the mixer was deflected into her path.

The hosts though they should have been awarded a penalty on 32 minutes when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Charlotte Salisbury-Williams in the box, but referee Luke Woodward disagreed.

And although they continued to dominate the remainder of the half, the Blues were unable to add to their lead before the break.

There were a distinct lack of clear-cut chances when the action resumed and Cheltenham were able to gain some more territory, without ever being able to test Cull.

Pompey’s first decent opportunity of the half came from another Ware corner that was headed to the target and nervously dealt with by Felgate.

And she then slid in at the far post and was inches away from getting on the end of a fine Hughes delivery just past the hour mark.

Sadler freshened things up with a triple switch, as Hughes, Hazard and Izzy Collins made way for Blades, Dahou and Katie Wilson.

And there was a fourth substitution for the hosts moments later, when Freeland took to the field in place of Jones.

The Robins soon had a chance to reduce their deficit when the Blues struggled to clear their lines and a Casi Evans strike was well blocked by Wilding.

There had been little to trouble to Felgate since the restart, although she did have to beat away a Beattie strike on 68 minutes, with Amelie Curtis on hand to clear the loose ball.

Pompey were beginning to move through the gears again and Blades narrowly cleared the crossbar with an attempt from the edge of the box.

Suttie came on for Ware in their final change, but it was another substitute who erased any doubts about the outcome on 74 minutes.

Freeland tried to whip a 40-yard free-kick into the area from wide on the right, but the ball somehow evaded everyone and ended up in the net.

Another goal almost followed immediately after when Jazz Bull cut the ball back for Beattie, whose shot was kept out by Felgate.

Pompey kept pushing forward in the closing stages and an angled attempt from Blades was deflected over, with the resulting Freeland corner scrambled unconvincingly clear by the visitors.

And they did have a fourth goal on 89 minutes when Cheltenham were unable to get the ball away and it was hooked into the net by Roberts.

It completed a comfortable afternoon for the Blues, who can now look forward to seeing who they get next in Monday’s second round draw.

Pompey: Cull; Bull (c), Wilding, Collins (Wilson 62); Hughes (Blades 62), Roberts, Hazard (Dahou 62), Jones (Freeland 66), Ware (Suttie 73); Barratt, Beattie. Subs not used: Pettit, Hutchings