Blues smash six past Alton
A first half brace from Katie James (pictured) helped Pompey Ladies storm into the quarter-finals of the Hampshire Cup with a 6-1 victory at Alton.
They started brightly and put the opposition defence and goalkeeper under plenty of early pressure.
Skipper Gemma Hillier almost ensured a dream start, but could not get enough power behind her shot after meeting a cross.
The deadlock was broken on 12 minutes, however, with Rebecca Bell showcasing her pace to carve out an opening and find the target from a tight angle.
Alton barely had the chance to catch breath, as James doubled their lead seconds later with a simple tap-in.
The chances kept coming for the Blues and the same player grabbed their third goal at the second attempt.
Her first shot was well saved by the goalkeeper, but James made no mistake with the follow-up as she smashed the ball home.
Pompey extended their advantage further midway through the first half, with right-back Charlotte Benson getting in on the action with a finish on the turn.
Hillier, meanwhile, might have had a hat-trick by the time she finally added her name to the scoresheet with a placed finish on 32 minutes.
It was comfortable for the Blues, but Alton took their chance to reduce the deficit from a long punt up the pitch.
James tried to complete her treble with a chipped effort, only for the goalkeeper to save at full stretch.
A sixth goal was added right at the death, however, as substitute Shannon Sievwright slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Caretaker Blues boss Jay Sadler said: “It was a thoroughly professional performance and I’m pleased with the result.
“We excited and looked very dangerous in spells, although our overall performance was not up to the standards that we are capable of producing.
“But we got the job done and we’re pleased to be in the next round of the Hampshire Cup.
“On an individual note, I was really pleased to see Katie and Rebecca on the scoresheet. Both have been working hard in training and it paid dividends.”
Pompey will host the winners of next Sunday’s tie between Bournemouth CST and Basingstoke in the last eight.
Pompey: Paines, Benson, Currie, Tonks (Bazan 70), Capel-Watson, Stephens, Peck (Sievwright 62), Bell, Kempson (Quayle 70), Hillier, James
Sub not used: Trodd