BURTON Albion's women's first team secured a historic win at the Pirelli stadium as they beat Coundon Court Ladies 5-1 thanks to goals from Dannie Oxley, Hajrah Mahmood and a superb hat-trick from Millie Drinkhall.
It was certainly a convincing performance from Albion, who deservedly broke the deadlock 14 minutes in thanks to a great strike from youth team graduate Mahmood. Despite being pegged back only 14 minutes later, Burton remained composed and produced a professional display as Drinkhall scored three fantastic goals before Oxley came off the bench to seal passage into the semi-finals of the Birmingham FA Women's County Cup.
During a game on such a monumental occasion it’s easy to get draw into emotion of the day and lose your head, but that certainly wasn’t the case with the Brewers who started this quarter-final clash on fire.
Albion were unfortunate not to be leading in the 10th minute of the game when Elisha Gourlay played a great one-two with Drinkhall on the edge of the area before driving towards goal where her low effort cannoned against the post.
Burton continued to ask questions of the Coundon defence and were rewarded for this period of sustained pressure with a first goal of the afternoon in the 14th minute. Drinkhall again played a great ball through to MAHMOOD this time who smashed a low shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.
Albion continued to create a considerable number of chances after their goal but were pegged back in the 31st minute when Olivia BROWN superbly lobbed Alice Langstone from 35 yards.
Despite conceding Albion didn’t let their heads drop and found themselves back in front in the 37th minute when DRINKHALL curled one into the top corner from the edge of the box via the post.
Burton weren't finished there though and bagged another goal on the brink of halftime when they broke quickly from a Coundon corner. Charlotte Jarvis played a superb ball forward which resulted in DRINKHALL speedily running half the length of the pitch with the ball, before passing it into the back of the net with her left foot.
HALF-TIME: BURTON ALBION 3-1 COUNDON COURT
Just six minutes into the second half Drinkhall came agonisingly close to bagging her hattrick when Alice Lilley played her in on goal, however keeper Megan Donohoe came out superbly to smother Drinkhall’s effort from close range.
Ten minutes later however and Drinkhall did bag her hat-trick, and in some style. Ciara Fray fizzed a great ball into DRINKHALL on the edge of the box - the midfielder took the ball down superbly before blasting one into the top corner to complete a wonderful treble.
Drinkhall wasn’t finished there though and was extremely unlucky not to bag her fourth of the game in the 66th minute when Gourlay’s pinpoint cross found her unmarked at the back post, Drinkhall quickly took the ball down before firing her volley toward goal which rattled the crossbar.
Ten minutes later passage into the semi-finals was all but sealed when Drinkhall fired a low cross into OXLEY who calmly curled the ball into the bottom corner to make it 5-1.
There was even time at the end for three members of the Development Squad - Lillie Salt, Phoebe Bourne and Lex Agnew - to take to the field, Bourne and Agnew making their senior debut at the home of the Brewers.
FULL-TIME: BURTON ALBION 5-1 COUNDON COURT
ALBION: Langstone, Richards, Naqwi, Jarvis, Fray (Salt 84), Drinkhall (Bourne 90), Mahmood (Oxley 72), Gillott, Gourlay (Hennessy Fernandez 72), Lilley (Agnew 90), Denny.