The Blades won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest to set up a tough fourth round draw against WSL title contenders Manchester City
Sheffield United made it through to the last 32 of the Women’s FA Cup with a 3-0 win over third-tier Nottingham Forest.
An excellent strike from Bex Raynor was the highlight of an excellent second half for the Blades, with Courtney Sweetman-Kirk opening the scoring and Mia Enderby getting her fifth of the season to seal the victory. Forest had proved stubborn opposition in the first half but United were superb after the break to book a fourth round tie with WSL title rivals Manchester City.
Here’s how the Blades team rated on their last outing at Scunthorpe’s Glanford Park.
Sheffield United reviews
Bethan Davies – Forest’s poor finishing ensured Davies wasn’t too busy this afternoon. But the Blades keeper looked in command at corners and set-pieces, with reasonably solid distribution throughout. – 6
Naomi Hartley – Allowed Forest forward Charlotte Greengrass a great chance to get back into the tie, but otherwise Hartley gave a commanding performance at the back – 7
Grace Riglar – Made a big block five minutes into the 0-0. Had she not stopped the dangerous Domingo’s effort, it would have been a long afternoon for the Blades. – 7
Charlotte Newsham – Could have moved the ball quicker when United struggled to break down Forest’s deep block, but rarely put a foot wrong defensively. – 6
Alethea Paul – Had a difficult job taking on lively Forest wide player Sophie Domingo, but grew into the game as it went on. – 7
Sophie Barker (C) – The classic game of two halves from the Blades skipper. Barker was closely marked by a well-organized Forest in the first 45, but found their feet as the game went on. Never stopped organizing and encouraging her teammates. – 6
Bex Rayner – Took the game by the scruff of the neck after the break. Produced the moment of the match with a stunning strike from outside the box. From that moment on, the Blades never looked like losers. – 8
Rhema Lord-Mears – Failed on the ball or consistently broke the lines of a well-bred Forest team. The third goal came with a clever cross which was well converted by Enderby. – 6
Mia Enderby – Could easily have a hat-trick another day. Enderby looked their game from the start, never giving the Forest backline a moment’s peace and fully deserved their name on the scoresheet. – 8
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk – Gets the all-important breakthrough after a tricky first half. If United are to go fuuuuuuuurther in this competition, they will have to be at their best against City. – 7
Georgia Walters – One of the quieter players for the Welsh international, although she had very little service in the first half. Was caught offside a few times but never stopped working hard off the ball and forcing mistakes from the Forest defense – 6
Substitutes (minimum 10 minutes): Tamara Wilcock – 5, Rachel Brown – 5