Win over Liverpool seals Women's Cup Final spot at the Ricoh.
Liverpool Ladies 0-3 Bristol Academy
The FA Women’s Cup sponsored by E.ON
Semi-Final
1pm, Sunday 17 April 2011
Haig Avenue, Southport FC
Winning club will receive £2,000 from The FA prize fund Bristol Academy booked their place in The FA Women’s Cup sponsored by E.ON Final and a ticket to next season’s UEFA Women's Champions League after a confident 3-0 victory at Liverpool on Sunday.
Both sides played their first FA WSL fixtures in midweek but it was the visitors from Bristol who appeared sharpest and scored all three goals before the break to secure the victory.
Ann Marie Heatherson, impressive throughout, crafted the visitors’ first goal, sliding an inch-perfect through ball into Jess Fishlock who planted her finish past Andrea Worrall in the Liverpool goal.
Bristol were beaten 4-0 by Birmingham in midweek but their confidence appeared sky high in front of more than 200 spectators at Southport FC’s Haig Avenue. And it took them less than ten minutes to double their advantage.
The goal was a role reversal of the opener, with Fishlock providing the cross from Heatherson who turned and finished with aplomb.
And Bristol’s place in The Final at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena was all but wrapped up before the interval when they made it 3-0 from a well-taken penalty. The lively Fishlock was brought down by Nicki Harding and Helen Bleazard made no mistake from 12 yards.
Bristol’s momentum was not affected by the break and Heatherson perhaps should have doubled her tally for the afternoon on two occasions but twice missed the target when well placed.
After such a disastrous first half, Liverpool did improve after the interval but still struggled to carve out any meaningful chances, while Bristol were able to protect their lead and close out the victory with an industrious second-half performance.
Bristol can now look forward to their place in The Final against either Arsenal or Barnet, who go head-to-head next Sunday.
