Norwich City Women claimed a 5-0 victory at home against Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers on Sunday, March 19, with four goals in the final 18 minutes of the semi-final of the Harrod Sport Women's Cup.
Shaun Howes' Canaries started the game with confidence and guile, subsiding all nerves. The hosts enjoyed most of the early possession, feeling out their opponents with calculated build-up play met with the occasional killer pass.
Though some through-balls and final-third passes were a little eager early on, the pressure paid dividends, forcing the concession of a number of corners and throw-ins.
On the 10-minute mark, a throw-in broke the deadlock. Alice Parker restarted play in the final third finding Ellie Smith, who then turned on a sixpence and found the bottom-left corner to open the scoring, settling any jitters from the 300 attendees at The Nest.
What followed was a sequence of the highest misfortunes for the hosts, being denied a second goal three times in the space of 10 minutes.
First, Natasha Snelling capitalised on a loose ball at the back post following a corner-kick but was denied by a heroic Siesha Humphries on the line.
Six minutes later and a Norwich set-piece again proved problematic for the Dussindale and Hellesdon defence. Rebecca Russell whipped a lovely free-kick into the box, provoking a miscommunication which ultimately saw D&H goalkeeper Tyla Cole clatter into one of her own defenders, leaving a free header for Mary Croft who turned away in agony as it cannoned off the crossbar.
It was then third time unlucky on 23 minutes as the crossbar yet again denied City of a second as Smith’s connection onto the end of an Alice Parker cross refused to stay down.
Nearly 20 minutes would go by before another clear-cut chance, but there was no change in fortunes. Ella Gambell made a weaving run down the right wing before squaring it to Snelling, who couldn’t believe her eyes as the woodwork denied the Canaries for a third time in the first half.
The second half saw much of the same as a frustrated Norwich pushed for a second for the best part of 25 minutes. Megan Todd and Freya Symonds came closest as Cole valiantly protected the away side’s goal with a number of acrobatic saves.
The 70-minute mark provided an audible sigh of relief. Smith turned provider to find Symonds with a delightfully picked pass and the winger made no mistake, securing the much deserved two-goal home cushion.
The Canaries still wanted more. Liv Cook had a goal chalked off by the offside flag on 83 minutes but had her hunger for goal satisfied just three minutes later, firing home after relentless waves of yellow and green.
The floodgates then opened and two minutes later Smith secured her brace to make it four. As the clock trickled into injury time, Freya Symonds snatched a brace of her own with the help of a wicked deflection to ensure the outing would be signed and sealed with a convincing score line.
The result ensures that Norwich City Women will now end their season at Carrow Road on Friday, May 19, when they host Mulbarton Belles Ladies in the Harrod Sport County Cup final.
Norwich City: Williams, Parker, Larkins, Smith, Snelling, Russell, Stanley, Knights, Gambell, Flye, Croft
Rolling subs: Ward, Todd, Symonds, Cook, Morran
Dussindale and Hellesdon: Cole, Bussey, Humphries, Tink, Wilson, Nobbs, Hutchin, Belton, Leyer, Sutton, Brister
Rolling subs: Kowalcyk, Green, Booker, Bell, Kennett
Attendance: 300
HT: 1-0
FT: 5-0