Match report: Albion outgunned in semi-final

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Second-half goals seal Arsenal's place at Wembley

Paul Camillin

2021-10-31T18:30:00Z

Emma Koivisto attacks down the left.

Albion’s FA Cup dream came to an end against Women’s Super League leaders and in-form Arsenal at Meadow Park, as they went down 3-0 in the semi-final.

The Gunners are in rampant form this season having won all their league and domestic cup games, and Hope Powell will have been pleased with her side’s defensive work in the first half as they went in goalless at the break, but ultimately Albion were overpowered in the second period.

Arsenal dominated possession, but Albion’s frustrated their hosts in the opening 45 minutes. When the defensive line was breached, they found Megan Walsh in good form.

Inessa Kaagman gets Albion on the attack against Arsenal.

She made a superb save from Caitlin Foord when the Arsenal midfielder won possession on the edge to the box, but Walsh was out to smother the shot and Megan Connolly cleared the danger.

Emily Simpkins made a superb tackle to deny England striker Beth Mead as she burst into the box and was poised to shoot, the Albion midfielder’s timing was critical on that occasion.

Aileen Whelan beats Vivianne Miedema to the loose ball.

When Walsh was beaten, by a looping Nikita Parris header, Victoria Williams was on hand to make a brilliant goal-line clearance, with the Albion captain’s quick thinking proving vital as she was able to clear away to safety.

Albion’s game plan was to be organised and hard to break down, and look for Danielle Carter on the counter-attack. The former Arsenal striker and 2016 FA Cup winner had a rare foray into the box just before half-time, and although her cross was blocked Maya Le Tissier was onto the loose ball and flashed a shot over from distance.

With a little bit of luck and a lot of determination that plan had worked to perfection in the first half, but it quickly unravelled early in the second period as Arsenal shifted up a gear or two. They had two half chances early on, for Foord and Nobbs, before Kim Little finally broke Albion’s resistance in the 50th minute.

It came from an excellent run from Mead down the left, as she drove into the box and to the byline. Little took a touch to control Mead’s cut back, before cleverly hooking past Walsh from close range.

Kayleigh Green went close with this first-half shot against Leicester.

Walsh had little chance there, and nor did she moments later as Mead made it 2-0, running onto a clever through pass from Nobbs and firing into the bottom corner, her low shot taking a deflection off Le Tissier as she slid in to block.

Powell reshuffled as Albion had to throw caution to the wind, and substitute Emma Koivisto had an opening to halve the arrears. Albion broke well and Carter found her racing into the box, but the Finnish international’s shot whistled wide of the left post, seemingly via a fingertip of goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger.

Arsenal put the result beyond any doubt when central defender Leah Williamson made it 3-0 with a powerful downward header from a corner after 76 minutes.

So Albion bow out of the 2020/21 competition, but only have a couple of months to wait until their 2021/21 FA Cup campaign kicks off in January.