St Albans Ladies reach semi-finals of Beds & Herts Women's League Cup by thrashing AFC Dunstable Women's Blue

Kerry Twigg and Abbey Williams had the Saints in front at the break before Millie Guest, Ellie Lovelock and a Jess McNamara brace finished things off after the interval.

With Saints’ home pitch waterlogged, the game was switched to the 3G surface at Dunstable’s Creasey Park, and that suited the now-visitors far more.

McNamara was unlucky to not open the scoring twice early on, first seeing a close-range effort go narrowly wide of the post and then having another good effort blocked by Dunstable keeper Sophie Moulding.

The Lady Saints did break the deadlock on 22 minutes, though, as Guest got away down the right-hand side and crossed for Twigg to convert into the bottom corner.

Holly Williams went close with a spectacular overhead kick shortly after, and both McNamara and Lovelock were thwarted by the Dunstable defence.

The Blues were to be breached again before half-time, however, as Williams picked up a loose ball inside her own half and advanced forward, and from 35 yards she sent a wonderful effort over the head of Moulding to double the Saints’ advantage.

Holly Wilks had two chances to get Dunstable back in the game at the start of the second half, firstly firing wide before seeing an effort from range tipped away by Lauren Croucher.

Guest soon made it 3-0 in Saints’ favour to put the tie beyond doubt, stroking the ball into an empty net after going around Moulding.

Saints then added a fourth on 67 minutes when Sophie Hull shifted the ball to Lovelock on the edge of the area, and she fired a brilliant effort over the keeper into the roof of the net.

McNamara made it five when she was brought down in the area and drove home the resulting penalty, and she added her second and Saints’ sixth soon after with a low effort from Lovelock’s pass.

Next time out, the side return to Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Women’s League Division One action as they host Northwood Ladies this Sunday.