Staveley Miners Welfare Women were defeated 5-0 by Pride Park Women in the final of the Derbyshire Women’s County Plate at the Don Amott Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The eighth-tier side gave it absolutely everything against their seventh-tier opposition. However, Pride Park Women’s firepower proved to be too much for Staveley over 90 minutes.
Despite the defeat, it was a valiant effort from the Trojans and they can be very proud of their cup run.
Staveley Miners Welfare Women almost got off to a dream start. Carly Rowlands was put through on goal within the opening 30 seconds, but her 12 yard effort was steered agonisingly wide of the target.
Pride Park Women should then have taken the lead after five minutes played. However, Beth Jones steered wide from the edge of the 18 yard area following a defensive mix-up from Staveley.
After a frantic opening 15 minutes, the game then levelled out and became a cagier affair. It looked as though the first half was destined to end goalless, but Pride Park Women struck twice in stoppage time just before the interval.
Beth Jones scored an impressive brace within the space of two minutes to suddenly give Staveley a mountain to climb at the half time whistle.
Unfortunately, the Trojans never recovered from this setback and were penned inside their own half for the vast majority of the second half.
The pressure told in the 70th minute when Daisy Bowen found the back of the net to make it 3-0. From this point on, the Staveley defence faced an onslaught from the Pride Park attack.
The best goal of the final arrived in the 77th minute when Aimee Healy-Raynor’s sublime long-range strike dipped just under the bar to make it 4-0.
Daisy Bowen then secured her second goal of the day three minutes later when she slotted past the goalkeeper for Pride Park’s fifth.
With the result in no doubt, the match petered out until the final whistle was blown and the Pride Park Women celebrations began.
Despite the defeat, Staveley Miners Welfare Women still came away with huge credit from the game in how they frustrated their higher-tier opponents for large portions of the first half.
Staveley Miners Welfare Women team: Hanlon, Davidson, Macefield, Hawkes, Hodgkinson, Butterworth, Newbold, Finnie, Caunt, Rowlands, May.
Substitutes: Harris, White, Folger, Smith.
Attendance: 102
