Third away tie for Reds Ladies

Reds Ladies have been drawn away for a third time in this season’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup.

They will travel to play Morecambe Ladies in a First Round Qualifying tie on the first Sunday in October.

Following wins at Middlesbrough and Durham, they will be on the road once more as their Cup run gathers momentum.

After the lone goal success at Boro Rangers in the Extra Preliminary Round, Reds were involved in a seven goal thriller at Durham United Ladies and progressed after an exciting 4-3 victory.

Even more remarkable was the fact that Reds were 2-0 down after ten minutes and 3-1 behind at half time.

After conceding those two early goals, Reds were back in the game mid-way through the first half when Helen Wagstaff’s assist released Hayley Bracken who confidently netted her first of the afternoon.

But Durham restored their two goal advantage adding a third before the interval.

A constructive chat during the break was followed by a determined Reds taking the field for the second half.

And words became action when they scored the first goal of the second half. Sophie Birkett (pictured) capped a great afternoon’s work by scoring a sublime second, lobbing the ball over the Durham ‘keeper, after Wagstaff again provided the assist.

Birkett was involved in the build-up to Reds’ third, linking with Chloe Henderson, before Bracken bagged the seventieth minute leveller.

And it was Bracken who sealed a superb win with her hat-trick goal in the seventy-sixth minute. She drifted in at the far post to meet Linzi Donaldson’s accurate corner.

Durham were showing signs of fatigue but Reds still had a bit of work to do and survived half-hearted appeals for a penalty then defended a corner.

They held firm and started their victory celebrations on the final whistle.