Hill and Legg braces seal SSFC Women's Fleetwood Town Wrens victory

South Shields Women booked their ticket to the Adobe Women’s FA Cup First Round Proper with a 4-1 victory on the road against Fleetwood Town Wrens on Sunday.

Tianna Hill made the most of an electric start with her first goal for the First Team in the ninth minute, before the South Shields FC Women’s International Academy forward followed it up in the 79th minute.

Annece Legg - who most recently scored four goals in 22 minutes - grabbed a brace, with goals coming for her in the 29th and 91st minutes.

Emily Slater managed to pull one back for the hosts part way through the first-half after a shot rattled off the crossbar, while Slater was there to pick up the pieces and put it past Anna Yeakey.

It was frenetic when the match kicked off, with the first chance coming to the hosts in the shape of Ellie Parkinson, who forced Yeakey into making a diving stop within a minute of the game's start.

Slater, who later scored, threatened with a cut inside which defeated Kennedy Green before she launched an effort straight at goal.

But their early opportunities weren’t enough as Jen Wootten sprinted through on goal - she rolled the ball past an opposing player before sending Hill through to score her first finish.

It was a well-worked shot into the far right corner, with a waiting group of players ready to celebrate with her.

Hill later sprayed a ball into the box from the right side but Legg just couldn’t keep her shot down, or else it stood a good chance of going in.

Fleetwood challenged from set pieces, with corners and free-kicks giving Yeakey and the Shields backline plenty of challenges to deal with.

A fantastic sequence, starting from the ‘keeper, found its way into the net via Asia Jota, Eve Gatens, Natalie May, Gatens again and finally Legg who managed to tap it in.

Charmaine Cardwell-Wilsdon struck audaciously from range and her shot smashed the crossbar, but Slater reduced the deficit by one with her follow-up to give the hosts a fighting chance.

After the break it was more of the same from Shields, they kept threatening for a third - the lasses eventually did through Hill, who met May’s fantastic through ball to go one-on-one with Libby Walmsley.

Legg scored her second, and the team’s fourth, of the afternoon just before the final whistle following a surging counter-attack move spearheaded by Hill, who allowed Legg to tap it in again.

Shields had fleeting chances thereafter, with Faye Killeen making a notable spin move on Louise Allan, but none changed the scoreline and Shields saw the game out for the win.

The lasses’ cup journey continues with a home tie against AFC Fylde Women, who have won 10 games straight in all competitions, in two weeks’ time - full match details to come next week.

Fleetwood Town Wrens: Walmsley, Hunter, C. Parkinson, Cardwell-Wilsdon, E. Parkinson, Hodkin, English, Allan, S. Slater, E. Slater, Farrell.

Substitutes: O’Neill, Frankle, Pickering, Masterson, G. Slater, Jones.

Goals: E. Slater (29’).

South Shields Women: Yeakey, May, Legg, Gatens, Wootten, McMahon, Hoot, Jota, Green, Hill, Raffel.

Substitutes: Killeen (played), England, Longstaff, Simpson.

Goals: Hill (9’, 79’), Legg (23’, 90+1’).