Real Bedford’s excellent Women’s National League Cup run came to a shuddering halt as they fell 4-0 in the quarter final to holders, Hashtag United on Sunday afternoon in Essex.
Charlie Bill’s women had already beaten two step three sides to reach this stage; the last remaining step four team to reach the last eight, but the Southern Premier Division challengers were one step too far for the Pirates.
The game had been billed as ‘The Champions vs The Challengers’, featuring two relatively new football clubs who have began their lives in unconventional ways.
Hashtag United FC have been in existence for eight years now, created by YouTube star, Spencer Carmichael-Brown, otherwise known as Spencer FC, while Real Bedford’s beginnings have been fuelled by Bitcoin and a multi-million dollar investment from the Winklevoss twins.
The two clubs have also been praised for their investment into Women’s football, but Hashtag United benefited from more experience as they coasted home to a 4-0 victory on Sunday.
#FastStart
Real Bedford were up against it after just fifteen minutes as Hashtag United raced into a two goal lead.
Their first came inside ninety seconds; Freda Ayisi’s excellent through ball found a marauding Hayley West who had raced down the right wing to slide it under Darcy Guy in the Real goal.
Francesca Finley doubled the lead inside the quarter of an hour mark as she latched on to a cleared cross to strike home into the bottom corner as the Pirates instantly found themselves behind the eight ball.
Real went into the break 2-0 down but the second half followed a similar pattern as Ayisi was once again involved in the build up for Hashtag’s third as she linked up with Jade Keogh whose effort looped over Guy and into the net.
Malika Apindia’s late penalty put the home side out of sight as Hashtag United kept up their pursuit of a league and cup double and holding on to their Women’s National League Cup title in progressing to the semi-finals.
For Real, attention turns to back-to-back promotions, but they can look back on a solid cup run that included victories against step three’s Milton Keynes Dons and Gwalia United.
Tempo and physicality
“We’re extremely disappointed”, said manager Charlie Bill after the game.
“We probably didn’t give the best account of ourselves today and we know when you come to an established step three side, we knew we had to be at our best level.
“The game was lost in that first fifteen minutes. The tempo and the physicality was a real step up from what we’ve faced of late so we always felt like we were chasing the game.
“We created some moments, but we needed to take them when we’re chasing the game.
“It’s a [cup] run we can be proud of. It’s a shame its ended here and probably in the manner it has, but its a good checking point before we go into two league games before Christmas.”
Real Bedford return to league action next Sunday (8 December) when they travel to bottom side, Ashford Town (Middlesex) in Women’s National League Division One South East.
