Acle United Ladies strolled into the quarter-finals of the Norfolk Women’s Cup after a 7-0 demolition of Gorleston at Emerald Park on Sunday.

Straight from the start, the visitors showed their intent with probing runs down the right flank but on each occasion Todd’s crosses went out for goal-kicks.

The breakthrough finally came in the 14th minute. Todd, after receiving the ball from Rowland, beat her marker and crossed for Birchall to volley the ball home from close range.

Acle doubled their lead on 24 minutes through Birchall. After receiving a defence splitting pass from Flatt, she drew the keeper before slotting the ball into an unguarded net. A few minutes later it was Birchall who turned provider, with a through ball to Todd who beat the home keeper with ease to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

Play was mainly confined to the Gorleston half of the pitch and Bullard was next to get her name on the scoresheet after the keeper failed to gather Cooper’s flighted ball into the penalty-area. Minutes later, Birchall completed her hat-trick, heading home Todd’s cross to give Acle a 5-0 lead at half-time.

Pasque and Scully were introduced for the start of the second half and straight from the kick-off, a move down the right flank almost paid dividends but Bullard was unable to get on the end of Todd’s cross. However, two minutes later Acle scored their sixth goal. Todd forced the hosts to concede a corner and from the set-piece a glancing header from Burton increased the visitors’ lead.

Acle continued to push forward and a flowing move which started deep in the own half and involving six different players ended with Birchall shooting past the home keeper from Cooper’s cross for her fourth goal of the game.

In a rare Gorleston attack, Fullbrook dived full length to palm the ball around the post.

Birchall later struck the woodwork as Acle were able to see out the game and go into tonight’s live draw on Radio Norfolk.

Acle Ladies: C Fullbrook, N Cooper, O Mungham-Gray, C Flatt, A Larkins, C Shields, M Todd, A Rowland, R Brister, L Bullard, G Birchall. Subs used: R Burton, B Scully, K Pasque.

This Sunday, the Ladies entertain Bedford at TheFDC@Flegg High School in their final home game of 2017.