CARDIFF 1st 12
ABERYSTWYTH 1sts 0
CARDIFF STROLLED into the second round of the Welsh Cup with a comprehensive 12 – 0 mauling of Aberystwyth.
The Ladies’ first XI will not have played in an easier match all season, as everyone involved struggled to keep count as the goals flowed in.
Fresh from their promotion to the BUSA Premiership, Cardiff started with real intent and hit four goals in the first ten minutes.
The late arriving Aber side must have wished they hadn’t bothered as within five minutes Donna McCormick had grabbed the first two goals of her profitable afternoon.
Captain Tamara Fateh led by example throughout and her exceptional performance included a brilliant strike to make it 3 – 0, and a smart finish after beautiful close control for the fifth.
Though the Aberystwyth keeper made a string of good saves she was unable to stop McCormick, who completed her seven-minute hat trick making it six from inside the box.
Shots rained down on the Aberystwyth goal all afternoon, with the visiting goalie trying her best to keep out the rampant strikers.
In contrast, Cardiff’s keeper Lizzie Hawes sat back and enjoyed the sunshine as the opposition struggled to leave their own half.
Cardiff continued to heap on the pressure and produced some lovely moves in wave after wave of devastating attacks.
After McCormick had added a fourth it was Amy McGowan’s turn to get in on the act as she finished a blistering move.
Amy Bowring and Angharad Griffiths then registered goals of their own, with both striking past the helpless Aberystwyth keeper. Cardiff marched into half time with an unassailable nine-goal lead.
With a change of goalkeepers, some positional changes and the win already in the bag, Cardiff still managed to add three more goals before full time.
Erran Morris made it ten before McCormick hit her fifth of the afternoon.
Despite the constant onslaught, Aber’s goalkeeper kept concentration in making some fine saves to deny the Cardiff attempts, on one occasion she denied McGowan when it looked a certain goal.
Regular goalkeeper Hawes also saw her penalty saved before Griffiths knocked in the team’s twelfth to complete a confident afternoon’s workout.
The squad played some brilliant hockey, proving just why they were promoted, and look likely to continue their recent domination of the Welsh Cup.
