FA Cup: Wolves Women 2 Stoke City Women 0 - Report
Wolves Women extended their winning run to 15 games and secured their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a win over Stoke City.
Making history with their first match broadcast on television, Katie Johnson had an early sight of goal as she took aim from distance, with a shot that had goalkeeper Harriet Grimshaw scrambling, but ultimately flashed wide.
Charlotte Greengrass then headed wide from a deep Anna Morphet cross as Wolves pressed for the opening goal.
Some neat play set up Johnson for another effort from outside the box, that trickled just wide of the post.
Stoke's first chance came in the 20th minute when Olivia Cook met a free-kick but her near post shot was harmlessly wide.
The visitors were getting more of a foothold in the fixture as the half progressed, but Louanne Worsey almost gave Wolves the lead when her fizzed and dangerous cross was palmed away from goalkeeper Grimshaw.
Beth Merrick came closest when her in-swinging corner almost went all the way in, but Grimshaw got a hand to it.
Worsey forced Grimshaw into another save with an effort from distance, as both sides entered the break drawing 0-0.
The best chance of the match so far fell to Chloe Williams five minutes into the second half as she was played through on goal, but her lob was lifted over the bar.
Wolves huffed and puffed looking for the lead and eventually found it in the 74th minute.
A quick counter-attack saw Merrick race down the left, cut inside onto the right roof and unleash a powerful shot from outside the box that crashed into the top corner.
Stoke should have equalised when Delphi Cole met a cross at the far post but she could not make the right connection as goalkeeper Alex Brooks gratefully collected.
Wolves snatched a second in the 89th minute when the goalkeeper spilled a corner and Racheal Quigley was on hand to finish.
That rounded off Wolves' win at AFC Telford United's SEAH Stadium, in front of 854 supporters on a freezing Friday evening.
