da brdice： Melvine Malard stole the show against Brighton as Millie Turner, Lucia Garcia and Nikita Parris fired Manchester United into the FA Cup semi-finals.
da bet7k： Article continues below
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Man Utd beat Brighton 4-0 in quarter-finalsMalard tormented defence throughoutRacked up two assists in comfortable winGettyTELL ME MORE
Barring the opening five minutes, it was simply one-way traffic for Marc Skinner's troops at Broadfield Stadium on Saturday afternoon. They took just eight minutes to break the deadlock through Turner and there was no looking back. The hosts were rocked after the early goal and just kept fading away as the match progressed with little resistance or spark at either end of the pitch.
Nine minutes after the opener, Malard set up Parris from the edge of the box and the striker kept her calm to slam home through the inside of the near post to double United's lead. Brighton pressed high to force a mistake from United's backline but Turner and Maya Le Tissier had little trouble playing out from the back.
The Seagulls had a few encouraging moments in the final five minutes before the half-time but their hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished after the Red Devils netted the third. Ella Toone drilled in a reverse pass for Malard who did pretty well to beat an on-rushing Sophie Baggaley, but her shot bounced off the woodwork. However, the rebound fell kindly for Lucia Garcia who had the easiest of finish.
The second half started in the same vein with Brighton dominating the first few minutes only to be nipped back by a dominant United. Toone & Co. were persistent in their efforts and were rewarded just before the hour mark after Lisa Naalsund found the back of the net after Malard laid her off, making it 4-0. The scoreline could have been more embarrassing if the crossbar had not denied substitute Irene Guerrero.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP
Malard was the brightest spark on the pitch for the visitors without a shred of doubt. She was a constant menace for Brighton's defence as she drew defenders towards her to make space for her team-mates to bang in the goals. No surprise that she ended up with two assists and, with a little more luck, could have got her name on the scoresheet as well.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
Brighton's defence was in sixes and sevens against an inspired United side. There were yawning gaps between the two centre backs which were utilised to the fullest by the United forwards. Malard handed a tough time to Pauline Bremer as the right-back struggled to keep a check on the fiery winger – who had little trouble in cutting side from the wide areas. Overall, they were brittle and paid heavily for their lack of awareness.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
United joined Leicester as the second team to qualify for the Women's FA Cup semi-finals after the Foxes got the better of Liverpool earlier on Saturday. They will now shift their focus to the WSL where they are slated to meet Bristol City next Sunday. On the other hand, Brighton face a stern test against leaders Manchester City on the same day.