The Valiants secured their place in the Adobe Women's FA Cup Third Qualifying Round after a dominant first home victory of the season.
In the opening three minutes, the contest started rocky for the home side after Jess Smith’s clearance ricocheted off a Halesowen player looking as though it may loop over the head of Connie Watts but instead went wide of the post.
Two minutes later the Vale had a chance of their own as Erin Moreton-Powell’s shaped shot into the far right-hand corner went agonisingly wide.
In the 19th minute, Olivia Grocott displayed amazing footwork to get around the opposition defence and once through on goal, her left-footed strike was turned behind for a corner.
There was a goal-mouth scramble, in the 27th minute when Grocott’s close ranged shot was blocked off the line.
The deadlock was finally broken six minutes before the break as Lilly Jackson’s first-time pass around the defence found Moreton-Powell who calmly slotted the ball past the keeper.
Three minutes into the second half, Dani Ebsworth made a crucial challenge in her box to keep Halesowen from levelling the tie.
The advantage was almost doubled, in the 54th minute, when Grocott’s powerful drive into the box was stopped by the keeper and moments later Sian McHugh’s long-ranged effort was straight into the keeper’s gloves.
However, the Valiants did find a second, on the hour mark, with Jackson’s cross from the left being capitalised upon by Grocott, firing her shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
There was a timely intervention, eight minutes later, by Daisy Anderson-Wright coming from ger right fullback position to stop a shot inside the penalty area.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Watts was called into action as she made an important save down to her right to keep the lead to two.
The Valiants were let off again one minute before the 90, when Halesowen thought they’d pulled one back but the combination of Watts and Smith was enough to steer the ball behind for a corner after a Halesowen’s player attempted goal.
The tie was finally put to bed after three minutes of stoppage time played when Madison Furnival blocked Halesowen’s clearance inside their 18-yard box and the follow-up was blasted into the roof of the net by Jackson.
Port Vale Women: Connie Watts, Freya Jackson (55’ Rayah Hardman), Jess Smith, Dani Ebsworth, Daisy Anderson-Wright, Meg Baldwin (84’ Keeley Riley), Sian McHugh, Cassie Davies, Erin Moreton-Powell (84’ Ava Wilson-Cunningham), Lilly Jackson, Olivia Grocott (74’ Madison Furnival)
Author: Connor Coyle, University of Staffordshire
