Shae Brady(right) was Wanderers stand out player on the day. Photo / Grant Stantiall
Shae Brady(right) was Wanderers stand out player on the day. Photo / Grant Stantiall
Hamilton Wanderers women's team are out of the Kate Sheppard Cup after a thrilling quarter final between Forrest Hill Milford AFC.
Wanderers were without key players Kelli Brown and Georgia Candy for the match, while reserve goalkeeper Sophie Daly was out injured, leaving 16-year-old Holly Reese Walsh as Wanderers' onlykeeper.
It was her first call-up to the senior squad, and straight into the firing line against one of the league's best teams.
The match was a replay of last week's washout. Hamilton Wanderers were 1-0 up in that game before the referee called off the match just before half time.
In this match, it was Forrest Hill who took the lead through Chloe Wilson 17 minutes into the match. Sammi Tawharu doubled Forrest's lead minutes later to put them in control of the first half.
The goals kept coming however, as Shae Brady got her head on the end of a cross to put Wanderers back within one goal of Forrest.
Tawharu struck again in the 34th minute to give Forrest their two goal cushion back before half time and leaving Wanderers with an uphill battle to climb in the second half.
Kim Maguire in the second half got Wanderers off to a perfect start slotting in a goal of her own to pull the game to 3-2, however Forrest Hill again struck minutes after.
Jane Barnett put a strike on goal that was unsaveable, again leaving Forrest with a two goal cushion.
The drama did not stop there as Shae Brady again headed one home in the 89th minute, but Wanderers were unable to tie the game in the dying minutes.
Wanderers front three of Brady, Maguire and Ella Golding were the stand-out performers for the home side. Holly Walsh, despite a few opening nerves, made several important saves to keep the Wanderers in the game and can hold her head high at rising to the challenge.
On Saturday, Wanderers men were in action against Three Kings United.
Cameron Howieson put Three Kings up 1-0 in the 33rd minute, before Tommy Semmy struck back three minutes later to pull the game to 1-1.
The scoreline would remain the same in a heated affair, with Three Kings having a player sent off in the last minutes of the game.
