Chesterfield FC Women cruised through to the semi-finals of the County Cup with a thrashing 22-0 victory over Pride Park FC development on Sunday afternoon.
There were four hat-tricks on a record-breaking day for Chesterfield, with Sophie Bain and Romy Sheppard grabbing four each, and Abi Clarke and Amy Nowell also scoring three apiece.
Further goals came from Millie Standen, Shanelle Ashtei, Sophie Marshall, Jess Waplington and Evie Carter as Chesterfield secured their place in the final four.
After a cup exit last week at the hands of Loughborough, Pete Jarvis’ side were determined to remain in contention for at least one cup competition.
And they started in a rampant fashion.
After only nine minutes played, the Spireites were already 3-0 up.
First, Wheldon finished off Abbie Staples’ cross, then from kick-off, Bain raced through and slotted home.
Less than a minute later, Waplington netted from close range for three.
Clarke then tapped home Marshall’s cross with 14 minutes played to make it 4-0.
Marshall turned from provider to scorer ten minutes later when she rolled a cool finish under Jessica Galbraith.
Bain and Clarke both grabbed their second just after the half-hour mark, each with composed finishes from the centre of the box.
Then moments later, with perhaps the pick of the bunch, central defender Ashtei took aim from distance and drilled a strike past Galbraith.
Bain then secured a first-half hat-trick in the 37thminute with a deft finish after a sublime through ball from Marshall.
Marshall made it double figures two minutes before the break with another clinical strike from close range.
Pete Jarvis made wholesale changes at the break, and it didn’t take long for the replacements to get in on the act.
Both Standen and Sheppard scored within five minutes of the restart.
The captain, Standen, tapped in a rebounded effort, and Sheppard followed up with a close-range finish of her own.
Chesterfield then had a three-minute goal blitz.
In the 54th minute, Clarke rifled her strike straight over Galbraith’s head, which secured her hat-trick and subsequently made it 13-0.
Nowell and Sheppard followed this up with close-range finishes less than a minute apart.
With 25 minutes to play, Nowell volleyed home Bain’s out-swinging corner.
In the 71st and 73rd minutes, the game saw two more hat-tricks.
First, Sheppard continued to show her striking instinct when she was on hand to finish off Bain’s deep cross, then Nowell replicated the finish this time from Carter’s ball into the area.
Standen then notched her second shortly after when she swivelled in the area and found the bottom corner.
Bain, who had been a constant thorn in the side for Pride Park today, got another with ten minutes left to play.
Sheppard also netted her fourth in the 86th minute after unselfish play by Carter.
And finally, after doing everything but score since coming off the bench, Carter found the back of the net with a great strike from distance just before the end.
This wrapped up an excellent day for the Spireites, who are now the serious favourites to retain the County Cup.
Up next is a return to league action when they head to Gainsborough on January 25.
