Albuery plays leading role as Blues bag cup
Pompey Women collect PDFA trophy honours at expense of city rivals
Shannon Albuery struck a hat-trick as Pompey Women defeated city rivals Moneyfields Women to be crowned PDFA Cup champions.
Along with Albuery's treble, strike partner Cherelle Khassal netted in the secondhalf to see the Blues to a 4-0
final victory over Moneys at Baffins Milton Rovers FC's PMC Stadium last night.
The victory ensured Jay Sadler's Pompey picked up a second trophy this season, following on from the Women's Hampshire Senior Cup glory they enjoyed after final victory over AFC Bournemouth Women last month.
While Pompey Women went into the contest with their season still ongoing - albeit just one league fixture left to play - Moneyfields were majorly under-cooked having not played competitively since March 20.
But Karl Watson’s side certainly needed little motivation coming up against their two-divisions higher city opposition and with the possibility of completing a double-winning season on the back of their Southern Region Premier Division title triumph.
Moneys were architects of their own downfall as they fell behind after seven minutes. Megan McGreage's wayward back-pass was intercepted by quick-thinking forward Albuery, who beat goalkeeper
Lauren Sayler to the ball and slotted into an empty net.
Pompey survived a scare of their own on 14 minutes when stopper Hannah Haughton was out quickly to smother Emma Pinner's close-range effort.
From the resulting corner, Haughton was again called into action, tipping Kim Whitcomb's whipped delivery onto the crossbar.
At the other end, Sayler saved brilliantly from Jazz
Younger's close-range shot
after she had taken the ball down from Danielle Rowe's free-kick on 22 minutes.
But the Blues' second arrived eight minutes before the break with Albeury heading home Rowe's corner. Pompey Women took control after the restart, as
Khassal kept her composure having been sent in the clear to make it 3-0 on 63 minutes.
Albuery was on hand to capitalise on another careless Moneyfields error to complete her hat-trick on 68 minutes. This time Kayleigh Tonks' misplaced back-pass was picked up by the Blues' goalgetter, keeping her composure to fire past Sayler.
It was all Pompey Women now with Moneys desperate not to fall even further behind in the closing stages.
Substitute Ava Rowbotham sent a left-foot strike from just inside the area crashing against the crossbar as the Blues threatened a fifth in the closing stages.
Yet Moneys managed to stand firm for the remainder as it ended 4-0. Cup final pictures on facing page.