Manchester United booked their place in the quarter finals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup after beating Southampton 3-1.
Ella Toone opened the scoring before Lexi Lloyd-Smith equalised but a late Rachel Williams double saw the visitors victorious.
It would take just seven minutes for the scoring to start as the Red Devils would link some quick passes together before finding Ella Toone on the edge of the box who fired a dipping shot beyond Rendell and into the bottom left corner. 0-1.
On the 20 minute mark, United almost doubled their lead after Nikita Parris was played through on goal but saw her low shot come back off the post. Leah Galton was well-placed to get to the rebound in the six-yard box but a last-ditch block from Megan Collett somehow kept the ball out of the net.
Toone was the centre of another smooth passing move that split the host’s defence but this time Laura Rafferty was able to block her shot from close range.
The Saints came out of the halftime break sharply and forced a free kick early on. It was swung in by Pike and sent goalward by Primus but Mary Earps got down well to save the headed effort.
Parris was again sent through on goal but when faced with just Rendell to beat, the home keeper made herself big to produce a crucial save with her legs.
Not long after, Parris again was fed behind the Southampton defence but fired her shot straight at Rendell from just in front of the penalty spot.
That miss turned out to be crucial as in the 64th minute, Lloyd-Smith ran down the right wing before pulling up on the corner of the area. She then curled a ball from over 25 yards into the bottom left corner and sent the home fans into raptures to level the game. 1-1.
United soon went back in front as after 73 minutes, substitute Williams appeared at the back post to head home Galton’s cross. 1-2.
United soon made it three but not without controversy as a corner was headed towards goal by Williams. Rendell got a slight touch on it before it was cleared by Milly Mott but the referee blew her whistle to award the goal, despite it appearing that the ball hadn’t crossed the line as the decision was met with anger and confusion from the home players and crowd alike. 1-3.
The mood soured further as Millie Turner appeared to handle the ball in the United area after Jemma Purfield’s shot rebounded off the post but no penalty was given.
In added time, the home side continued to attack and Lucia Kendall made a rare run forward before prodding the ball beyond Earps but could only watch it come back off the post before the final whistle went soon after.
Line-ups:
Southampton: Rendell (GK); Mott; Kendall ©; Rafferty; Wilkinson; Pike (Wynne 89); Griffiths (Lloyd-Smith 45); Primus (Pharoah 69); Purfield; Collett (Morris 69); Peake.
Subs: Haaland; Thompson; Kraft; Milne; Howard.
Manchester United: Earps (GK); Evans; Zelem ©; Malard (Williams 67); Le Tissier; Blundell; Naalsund (Guerrero 67); Galton; Turner (Mannion 94); Toone (Ladd 83); Parris.
Subs: Tullis-Joyce; Aherne; Francis; Chadwick.
