Erin Cuthbert nets hat-trick as Blues thrash Bees 10-0 in Women’s FA Cup mismatch at The Hive

Erin Cuthbert, 19, scored a hat-trick as the ladies went on a 10-0 rampage against hapless London Bees at The Hive this afternoon in the Women’s FA Cup 4th round tie. The mismatch was evident in terms of power, fitness and clinical finishing. How the Blues would have wished for just one of these goals to have been scored in the WSL 1 match of the season so far – a pulsating but ultimately scoreless game against Manchester City on Thursday as the top two teams in the country went head-to-head. This game was always going to be a case of a win for chelsea, but by how many. To their credit, they showed boss Emma Hayes that when called upon they can be relied to perform as they kept going right to the end. The final goals coming in the last minute. Five minutes in and Chelsea should have scored from the right boot of Erin Cuthbert. Following excellent set up play by Ji So-Yun and Fran Kirby, the ball was feed to Cuthbert, but her turn and shot from just inside the Bees penalty areas sailed over Nicola Hobbs’s crossbar. A double save from Hobbs prevented the Blues from taking the leads on 18 minutes. She brilliantly parried away a Fran Kirby blaster and the smothered the following up from Cuthbert. But a minute later and the Blues took advantage of sleepy defending, allowing a simple Millie Bright through ball to be picked up by forward Cuthbert. She took a quick look up and saw Hobbs racing out. She cooly lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and the ball nestled in the back of the Bees net. Number two, two minutes later was a result of excellent set up play and Ji So-Yun slotted home. Kirby took an audacious shot from 35 yards that inched over Hobbs’s goal as the Blues dominance told and number three was not far behind as Bees defender Danielle Lea appeared to knock the ball into her own net although Claire Rafferty was in the mix to get her head on a teasing cross. Jonna Andersson latched onto a fine cross by Gemma Davison on 42 minutes, but her volley was wayward. There was a no change of personnel at half-time, but it was one-way traffic again. Within two minutes, Chelsea had number four, Hobbs made a terrible error allowing ‘mini Messi’ Kirby to nick the ball off the stopper and walk the ball, unchallenged into the net. Kirby would not be denied her second and it duly came on 69 minutes when she drove a low, right-footer between Hobbs and her right post. Magdalena Eriksson replaced So-Yun on 73 minutes. Seconds later it was number six. Skipper Katie Chapman latched onto a fine left byline cross by Karen Carney and thumped a low right-footed blaster past a helpless Hobbs. Millie Bright had another excellent game at centre-back but also showed her scoring prowess by notching up number seven on the 78th minute. A simple tap-in from a corner. Numbers eight, five minutes from time came from Scotswoman Cuthbert. She scored her hat-trick goal with a minute left on the clock from the penalty spot after her mazy run saw her being upended in the Bees penalty area. Double figures were achieved 50 seconds later when Chapman slotted home. The feisty round draw is 8am on Monday. The Blues head to Birmingham for their next league match.

Team: London Bees, Hobbs, Weston, Fogarty, Toussaint, Lea, Lane, Wilkinson, Clarke, Howells, Beckett, O’Leary Subs: Harris, Rolandsen, Lalani, Anderson, Will

Chelsea: Telford, Thorisdittir, Bright, Davison, Carney, So-Yun, Rafferty, Kirby, Chapman, Andersson,. Cuthbert Subs: Lindahl, Eriksson, Dunn, Bachmann, Spence Referee Andreas Anastasiou