Town forced ahead early on courtesy of goals from Beth Stanfield and Beth Ibbotson, with the visitors threatening heavily through dynamic counter attacking situations.
Consecutive strikes in the second half through Charlotte Stuart removed any doubt of victory in the tie, prolonging the side’s streak of fixtures without defeat, as coach Glen Preston warned “not to write us off yet”.
On the back of their recent outing in the districts of Southern Manchester, Town welcomed English Football League giants and familiar foes Doncaster Rovers Belles back to the Stafflex arena for a second time this season, with the Terriers stalemate against title contenders Cheadle Town extending their unbeaten run to four games as they headed into today’s contest.
Despite entering the tie at 11th in the FAWNL North divisional standings, the Belles recent shock victory against league leaders Middlesborough will have no doubt eliminated any chances of complacency within the Terrier’s squad, as the six-time FA Women’s Cup winners will have had the motive of revenge following both Town’s convincing league cup victory in August, as well as the outcome of last season’s County Cup final.
It was Glen Preston’s unchanged starting 11 from last week to start the contest, with the inaugural chance emerging as early as the second minute, as a breakaway for Doncaster found striker Jasmine Saxton with the ability to drive towards the Huddersfield area, laying to Abbie Coley whose ambitious effort fell just wide of the target.
Town clearly aimed to develop on their system utilised in last week’s display, with the progressive instruction of Rebecca Beresford providing options to rotate between a traditional 433 shape and a fluid three-back defensive formation.
There was a clear intention of committing a number of bodies forward, with a fairly dynamic tempo of play maintained by the home outfit early on, as Beresford was presented with an opportunity, with her in-swinging strike parried at reach before being eventually claimed by the opposition goalkeeper.
It was Town to draw first blood short of the 20 minute-mark, as skipper Beth Stanfield lead by example with her drilled strike from range, driven low into the bottom-left corner after progressing forward from her holding-midfielder position to force the side one-to-the-good.
There was a clear recognition of the frailties in the performance against Cheadle Town, with both Charlotte Stuart and Kate Mallin deployed in more centralised-attacking areas to assist Yasmin Mason, who was often isolated during her role as the sole striker.
The away side provided most of their threat through counter attacking situations, with Saxton found on the break once again as Autumn Housley was caught in possession, denied well by the stretched leg of goalkeeping mainstay Kacey Bolton-Woollam.
This advantage was doubled in the 26th minute, as Mallin’s searching corner was met by the head of a dominant Beth Ibbotson, on-running with a powerful effort that proved the goalkeeper’s touch insufficient, as the Terriers lead by two.
There was a clear momentum shift in the tie, as the visitors pulled one back in the 35th minute through a self-inflicted opportunity, as Saxton was given the ability to round the goalkeeper before striking into the empty net to half the Belles deficit.
The side were margins from levelling the contest shortly before the break, heading inches wide from close range as Town remained in the lead heading into half time.
Half Time: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Doncaster Belles
Doncaster were penalised for a number of offside offences throughout the tie, to the accord of both an astute defensive shape and the eagerness of the opposition attacking frontline, with Sexton found in behind controversially once again, striking the post before a Huddersfield two-versus-one at the other end could not be capitalised on.
Town eventually earnt their third and fourth in quick succession, with a brace courtesy of Charlotte Stuart giving the Belles work to do in the latter periods of the tie, finding space well in the box well for the first strike, and reacting first following a goalkeeper rebound for the second goal to earn her seventh of the campaign in all competitions, significantly increasing the Huddersfield advantage.
Preston’s side soon shifted into a more defensive mould in an effort to see out the remainder of the outing, searching for Mason who had drifted to the left flank, with her bursting pace causing increasing troubles to the tiring away backline.
A number of changes promoted a slight refreshment in the home outfit, combining well in the 70th minute as winger Molly Firth found Ria Montgomery in the opposition area with an incisive trivela, as the recipient’s stretched effort was tipped wide for a corner.
Mason was unlucky not to feature on the scoresheet as she was found a number of times in behind the Doncaster defensive unit, with a number of recovery challenges denying the forward of a deserved goal.
Huddersfield eventually conceded a second to reduce the deficit to two in the 85th minute, as an unfortunate rebound following a set-piece landed at the feet of Izzy Gigg who was able to find the roof of the net, as the fixture eventually drew to a close in the favour of Town.
Full Time: Huddersfield Town 4-2 Doncaster Belles
The Terriers return to Cup action once again as they resume their Women’s Adobe FA Cup campaign against sixth tier side Accrington Stanley, to be played at the Wham Stadium as Preston’s squad will be hoping to earn their place in the hat for the third-round draw.
Goals:
19′ Stanfield (Embley)
24′ Ibbotson (Mallin)
53′ Stuart (Stanfield)
57′ Stuart
Substitutions:
70′ Montgomery, Firth, McMahon (Mallin, Embley, Housley)
75′ Gill (Stuart)
