Sarah Stacey reached a century of goals in red and white as City Women advanced to the Second Round of the Adobe FA Cup with a 4-0 win against Keynsham Town.
After the visitors started the brighter of the two sides, City quashed any doubts with two goals in two minutes just before the half hour mark. Sophie Gillies opened the scoring after being played through one-on-one with the keeper, before Sarah Stacey rounded the Keynsham stopper to double the lead.
Five minutes before the break, Stacey scored goal number 100, before second half substitute Amber Pollock completed the victory with a strike from distance to put the Grecians through to Round Two.
Abbie Britton made six changes to her lineup from last week's stalemate against Hashtag United. Liv Giles was brought in between the posts, continuing her role as cup goalkeeper, while Bow Jackson moved to the bench and the captain’s armband was handed to Sarah Stacey. Beth Ireland was named in the starting team, but a she picked up a calf problem in the warmup and was replaced by Ishbel Zuurmond.
First half
The visitors came out firing and created the game’s first chance just three minutes in. Hannah Price beat the offside trap and sprinted through on goal, but Giles closed down the space and blocked her shot with her chest before the rebound flew over the bar.
City struggled to find their rhythm early on, and after Zoe Watkins gave the ball away in midfield, Keynsham broke. Immi Stocker surged forward but was brought down by Courtney Jones just outside the box. Ciera Lundy’s low free-kick deflected off the wall, leading to a corner, which Jaydee Seaman cleared.
Keynsham’s long balls over the top were causing City's backline problems, but it was a direct pass that also created Exeter's first chance. Sophie Gillies chased down a ball over the top and was brought down, while the referee waved away shouts for a penalty, it rebounded out to Zoe Cunningham, who struck a first-time shot just over the bar from over 35 yards.
Abbie Britton had to make a last-minute adjustment to her lineup due to Ireland’s injury during the warmup, and her hand was forced again just 20 minutes in when Jess Sandland was sidelined with an ankle issue. Bow Jackson stepped in as her replacement.
Despite the setbacks, City soon found their stride and took the lead. Moving quickly through midfield, Watkins threaded a pass to Gillies in space, and the Grecians’ top scorer made no mistake, calmly finishing her one-on-one with the keeper.
Soon after kick-off, City struck again. Substitute Jackson found space on the right to swing a pin-point cross into the middle for Sarah Stacey, and she turned and shot into the bottom corner for goal number 99 in red and white.
Confidence now bled through the Grecians as the visitors backed off, and it seemed like only a matter of time until the third goal game.
Ten minutes later, Stacey notched her century. After being found in the penalty area again, the striker had time and space to glide past the goalkeeper before tapping the ball home, cementing her place in City’s history books.
The Grecians’ number 10 almost added a third just before halftime, but an offside call denied her the match ball. In a sharp move down the right, Jackson sent the ball into Gillies, who unselfishly laid it off to Stacey to finish into an open net—only for the assistant’s flag to go up.
Stacey kept pushing until the very end of the first half, capping off the 45 minutes by hitting the crossbar. A corner swung in from the right dropped to her on the half-volley, but her strike clipped the bar's top edge.
Second half
City picked up the second half where they left off. A well-placed pass from Jones found Gillies on the edge of the box, and after a quick touch and turn, the striker’s shot rolled just wide of the post.
Keynsham continued to sit deep, giving City plenty of room in midfield but limiting clear chances around the box. Jackson tested her range next, firing from 25 yards out, though her effort soared over the bar.
Pressing on, City shifted play from side to side to wear down the opposition. Jackson’s overlapping run down the right created another promising chance as Gillies shielded the ball before laying it off to Cunningham, who cut inside and took a shot from distance, only to see it blocked away.
With the visitors defending in numbers, City needed something special for a fourth goal, and substitute Amber Pollock delivered just that. With 20 minutes to go, the winger picked up the ball 30 yards from goal, found herself in space, and unleashed a powerful shot that sailed past the keeper, giving the Grecians a commanding 4-0 lead.
City continued to threaten for a fifth, and while Stacey had a header that just flicked over the bar, no more goals came.
A 4-0 win, and the Grecians progress to the next round of the Adobe Women's FA Cup.
City are now in the hat for the second round draw tomorrow afternoon, but Abbie Britton's side will now turn their attention back to league action, with back-to-back away games at Watford and MK Dons up next.
Exeter City Women: Giles, Toogood, Seaman, Jones, Sandland (Jackson, 20'), Cunningham (Taylor, 75'), Baker, Zuurmond, Watkins (Pollock, 67') , Stacey (C), Gillies.
Substitutes not used: Bond (GK).
Goals: Gillies 28', Stacey 29', 39', Pollock 72'
Attendance: 185