Home » FA Vitality Cup Fourth Round – Manchester United Women Hit Burnley For Six!

FA Vitality Cup Fourth Round – Manchester United Women Hit Burnley For Six!

by Liam White


A day to celebrate for Manchester United Women, as they registered a 6-0 thumping against their North-West counterparts Burnley in the Womens Vitality FA Cup fourth round.

Millie Turner, Ella Toone, Lucy Staniforth, Amy Turner and Kirsty Hanson, who netted twice, were the goalscorers.

Casey Stoney made four changes to the team in pursuit of a place in the next round, bringing in the likes of Staniforth, Amy Turner, Ross and Smith.

United showed their class and superiority on the pitch by dominating the early stages of the game.

Absorbing the pressure, the Burnley defence was happy to see early attempts from Jess Sigsworth and Ella Toone being blocked before they could test the goalkeeper, Lauren Bracewell.

However, the pressure was too much for the Clarets to handle when in the 11th minute, Millie Turner rose the highest at the back post to complete a wonderful headed effort into the roof of the net.

In ambitious goal scoring fashion, United increased their lead to two shortly after, as full-back Ona Batlle found Ella Toone with some sensational link-up play resulting in an instinctive first-time finish into Bracewell’s goal to make it 2-0.

The Manchester United midfield continued causing trouble for Burnley when Toone forced a fantastic save from Bracewell, who cleared the ball using her feet.

However, it was not long before Staniforth registered her first goal of the season and United’s third of the game. The midfielder’s darting run was matched with another fantastic pick-out by Batlle and she calmly chipped over the goalkeeper’s head into the empty goal.

The final goal of the half saw one of Stoney’s tactical changes find the net, with Amy Turner glancing the ball swiftly into the home side’s goal from an excellent cross by Toone.

A rampant display from the visitors, Burnley must have been happy to see the half-time break, the score standing at 4-0.
Coming out for the second half, Burnley had a glimmer of hope when Thomas saw her shot saved easily by Earps. Yet whatever hope it did provide was swiftly diminished when Hanson made it 5-0.

Toone influenced the game in an immense capacity and continued when she found Hanson hugging the left touchline with a fine pass. With incredible skill and ability, Hanson beat her opposing player and slotted the ball low and hard into the bottom corner.

The United winger didn’t stop there and she managed to double her goal tally shortly after the hour mark. A swift and sweeping passage of play saw the Reds dismantle Burnley and with patience and fantastic judgement, Hanson managed to nod home a rebound from a shot from Signsworth that rattled off the bar. 6-0 to United.

Time for a change and with the game well and truly over, Stoney made a triple substitution. She brought on Maria Thorisdottir and Christen Press, as well as Tara Bourne, who made her professional debut for the Reds.

It was not long before Press started terrorizing Burnley and she came close just five minutes after entering the game. Making a direct and central run, her curling effort flew just wide, nearly making it seven.

The last passage of attacking play saw Bracewell making a fantastic save to deny Jane Ross before referee Jane Simms blew her whistle to confirm United’s status in the fifth round.

A fantastic display completed, the Reds will now face Leicester City in the fifth round at Leigh Sports Village on the 16th of May.

Burnley (Home)
Bracewell, Hamer, Bickett, Fleck, Cooper, Worthington, Dykes, Greenhalgh, Hope, Priestley, Thomas.
Subs: Gibbins, Brown, Rathburn, Wilson, Tobin, Rawstron, Mapp, Owen, Shirtcliffe.

United (Away)
Earps, Batlle, A. Turner, M. Turner, Smith, Zelem, Toone, Staniforth, Sigsworth, Ross, Hanson.
Subs: Groenen, Thorisdottir, Bentley, Jones, Press, Bourne

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