Impressive Chesterfield Ladies advance to next round of League Cup

Goals from Georgina Williams, Millie Standen and Millie Jebb-Geer secured a fourth victory in a row in all competitions for the Blues as they continue their impressive run of form.

Chesterfield took the lead after 15 minutes played thanks to a moment of magic fromstriker Georgina Williams. Despite being around 30 yards out, the forward had time and space to try an ambitious shot. The gamble paid off as Williams’s superbly struck effort looped over the Basford goalkeeper.

The Blues had an opportunity to double their advantage four minutes later when Hannah Baker saw her attempt from 20 yards out flash narrowly over.

The rest of the first half was a fairly quiet affair which saw few clear-cut chances. The best chance of the rest fell to the Blues with just five minutes to go before the interval. A well-taken free kick from Kel Fidler forced the Basford goalkeeper into a decent save to tip the ball around the post. From the resulting corner kick, Gina Camfield’s close range effort from within a crowded penalty area landed on the roof of the net.

It was a very eventful opening to the second half. The hosts found themselves back on level terms from out of nowhere just four minutes after the interval when goalkeeper Louise Apperley spilled a right-wing cross from Basford which allowed Katie Platts to tap in from literally a yard out to make it 1-1.

The game took an extra twist just three minutes later when Basford needlessly found themselves down to ten players following a straight red card for Ashleigh Davies-Lynch. The referee had no other option but to issue the player a red card after she roughly pushed over left-back Steph Warren to the ground with the ball not even being contested for.

With the extra player advantage, Chesterfield Ladies dominated possession for the rest of the match and controlled the tempo of the game.

The visitors soon took the lead for the second time in the game after 58 minutes played. An excellent corner-kick from Kel Fidler could only be unconvincingly palmed away by Basford’s goalkeeper and Millie Standen was in the right place at the right time to smash the ball into the back of the net from close range to make it 2-1 and secure her eighth goal of the season.

The 75th minute saw Chesterfield Ladies extend their lead to 3-1 with a jaw-dropping goal of the season contender. After winning possession of the ball in defence, teenage centre-half Millie Jebb-Geer surged forward, skipped past an opponent and struck an incredible effort from around 30 yards out which beat the keeper all ends up and rippled the back of the net. It was a very special goal from a player who is repeatedly putting in excellent performances every week.

The two goal cushion was too much for the hosts to come back from and the visitors comfortably saw out the final 15 minutes of the match to win 3-1 and book their place in the quarter-finals of the East Midlands Women’s League Cup.