United Women made it through to the second round of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup with a 6-1 win over Chesham United Ladies at Court Place Farm this afternoon.
Gemma Fraser opened the scoring for Chesham before Carly Johns scored twice to take the lead. Iesha Swaby and Lily Stevens then both scored their first of the season before Sammy Wynne scored her first senior goal and Daisy McLachalan scored a late sixth for the U's
Swaby, Jess Gray and Sarah King all came into the starting eleven, with Cat Beaver returning to the bench after injury.
Chesham came into the ga meas underdogs, sitting eighth in the division below Oxford, but gave the Yellows an early shock when Fraser turned Riva Casley on the edge of the box and struck an effort over Paris Sercombe and into the net in the fourth minute.
United knew they were in a game, and worked hard and quick, to find the equaliser. McLachlan headed over from close range before Johns settled the nerves. Jaime Gotch found her over the top and Johns calmly lifted the ball over Amber Taylor to level the game and score her seventh of the season in all competitions.
It was one way traffic from then on as United commanded the Generals, taking the lead by scoring twice in as many minutes. Johns netted her second of the game from a tight angle as Taylor spilt a headed back pass in the 28th minute, before Swaby netted her first goal in Yellow with a thumping right footed strike to send the U’s into the break comfortably ahead.
Johns almost had her hat-trick five minutes after the restart when her cross flew past everyone and rattled the inside of the post, but was replaced by Wynne before she could make it three for the day.
Stevens then got in on the action to make it 4-1. Naomi Cole drilled her corner low to the edge of the box and Stevens curled the ball over the stranded Taylor for her first of the season.
Fraser was Chesham’s biggest danger all game, and nearly scored an excellent second, twisting and turning past Casley and stinging the palms of Sercombe in the Oxford net in the 62nd minute.
With 15 minutes to go skipper Lauren Haynes was stretchered off to a huge round of applause from the 232 at Court Place Farm, and was replaced by Billie French.
Cole made way for Lacy Liggett and United kept the pressure up, creating lots of chances. They found their fifth in the 87th minute, when some excellent work from Liggett down the right found Wynne in the box, who tucked the ball home for a first Oxford goal.
Then in added time McLachlan made it six. The winger deserved a goal and picked her spot excellently to strike home Oxford's sixth into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
The U's will be happy to be in the hat for the next round and look to keep the winning streak up heading into a midweek away fixture at MK Dons on Wednesday.
UNITED
Sercombe, Stevens, Casley, Gotch, Gray, Cole (Liggett, 83'), Haynes (French, 75’), Johns (Wynne, 64’), Mclachlan, Swaby, King
Attendance: 232
Report by Billy Lawrence, pictures Darrell Fisher