Five-star showing for SSFC Women in League Cup tie against West End

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUqJ1Jqct4

Demi Pine had a dream first start for South Shields Women as her hat-trick helped the side advance to the NERWFL League Cup Semi-Final on Thursday night.

The Mariners began the evening against Sunderland West End Ladies not in the way they’d have hoped for as Eve Jones broke the deadlock for the hosts inside nine minutes. 

Shields, resilient as ever, then clawed themselves back into the game just eight minutes before half-time, thanks to Pine’s first goal for the First Team.

The second-half was one in which the visiting Mariners were utterly dominant, with four goals coming in the second 45 minutes.

On the hour mark, Pine claimed herself a brace. 

Six minutes later, Pine once more was on the scoresheet - the forward had went from a singular goal, to a brace, to a hat-trick, in a remarkable 29 minutes. 

The game still had two goals left in store for the visitors, with Faye Killeen’s goal coming directly from her cross in the 71st minute and an exquisite free-kick from Kelsi Hoot in the 90th minute.

The visitors came into the game looking to bounce back from their most recent outing, which saw them fall to a 3-0 defeat against the league leaders Bradford City AFC Women.

Ahead of the clash, Shields made many changes, with the main one being Pine’s inclusion in the starting line-up.

The clash got underway, but it wasn’t the greatest of starts for Alex Miller’s side as just nine minutes had ticked over before the hosts had netted the opener - Jones was the one for West End to break the deadlock. 

However, as this resilient side always does, they indeed fought back. 

In the 36th minute, Pine was played through by Kylie Scarpiello before thundering the ball into the bottom right corner. 

The second-half got underway, but there wouldn’t be any goals until the 60th minute, and remarkably it was Pine on the scoresheet once again.

This time, Killeen burst down the right side before fizzing a ball into Pine, whose initial shot was saved by Summer Sawyer, however the marksman tucked in her second chance. 

Incredibly, Pine wasn’t finished. 

Just six minutes later, the forward picked up her hat-trick thanks to a drilled left-footed stunner into Sawyer’s bottom right corner. 

The Mariners at this point were in fifth gear and eventually bagged themselves two more goals. 

In the 71st minute of the tie, Killeen burst down the right side - as the winger had been doing continuously throughout the game - and hurled a cross into the box which looped over Sawyer and into the net. 

And then in the 90th minute of the game, the visitors received a free-kick which was struck sublimely by Hoot and into West End’s goal, which was a fantastic goal that rounded a terrific away display.

The lasses have little time to rest, however, as they host Thornaby FC Women in the league this Sunday at Downhill Hub (2:30pm kick-off).

Sunderland West End Ladies: Sawyer, Smith, Thompson, Linsley, Reynolds, Ankers, Dale, Ferris, Kaur, Jones, Dodds.

Substitutes: Alderson, Urwin, Poulton.

Goals: Jones (9’).

South Shields Women: Miller, Simpson, Robinson, Killeen, Yeakey, Wootten, Pine, Hoot, Scarpiello, Rodriguez, Bouggess.

Substitutes: None.

Goals: Pine (37’, 60’, 66’), Killeen (71’), Hoot (90’).