Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final with a convincing 3-1 win over Birmingham City Ladies.
Goals from Toni Duggan, Nikita Parris and Jill Scott were enough to see City ease past their WSL1 counterparts and in to the last stage before Wembley.
Haines pulled one back for Birmingham late on, to make for a nervy finish, but it ended up just a mere consolation as the one-goal deficit only lasted 4 minutes.
City got off to a flying start after just 16 minutes, finding themselves 1-0 up on the counter attack after a Natasha Harding shot belted off the bar and Duggan tapped in from 5 yards.
As the weather worsened in Manchester, the home’s side performance also tailed off as the visitors pushed for an equaliser. But the teams went in to the break with Duggan’s goal the only difference.
The second half started less brightly than the first, with neither team producing any real chances.
But Nick Cushing’s team then grabbed their second goal of the game in the 67th minute, when player of the match Isabel Christiansen floated in a magnificent cross from a set piece and Parris coolly slotted in with a side foot finish.
With seven minutes left on the clock the Midlands side got themselves a lifeline, Coral Jade-Haines with the easiest of tap ins from a Emily Westwood cross, but just four minutes later the hosts added another through Scott.
Birmingham failed to deal with a Parris cross and Scott calmly slotted the ball between the legs of Blues keeper Becky Spencer to secure her team’s place in the semi finals.
Blues manager David Parker was disappointed with his side’s performance and had some stinging words for his players after the game.
“Man City worked harder than us, they out ran us, we weren’t good enough and it shone throughout the whole team. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.
“It’s going to hurt now, Man City did not have to be at their best to beat us and we could have been at Wembley. We’re going to have huge regrets watching other teams play at Wembley and we’re second bottom of the table.”
