Cardiff City Ladies produced the FA Women’s Cup shock of the weekend as they defeated Northern Premier side Burnley 4-1 to fire them through to the last 16 of the tournament.
The Welsh club, who ply their trade in the fourth tier of the English system, were already the lowest-ranked side heading into Sunday’s fourth-round clash against third-tier Burnley.
Their comfortable 4-1 win ensures Cardiff City Ladies are now the only team remaining from outside the league’s top two tiers, with seven teams from the Women’s Championship and eight from the Women’s Super League still remaining. They are now set to face Championship side Lewes in the fifth round.
A berth in the fifth round also sees the fully-amateur side take home £15,000, with the guarantee of another £5,000 in the next round and the prospect of £20,000 if they produce an even greater shock win.
While Jamie Phillip’s side would have been eyeing a fifth-round glamour tie with top-flight Women's Super League behemoths Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea, the latter of which is home to former Cardiff City Ladies player and Wales captain Sophie Ingle, Cardiff have been drawn away against Championship side Lewes, currently sixth in the table of England's 12 second-tier clubs.
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Welsh outfit Cardiff City Ladies, not to be confused with Cardiff City Women, sit top of the National League Division One South West with an imposing nine wins from 10 and a goal difference of +43, nearly 20 goals more than their nearest competitor in runners-up Exeter City (+26).
On Sunday, the goals came easy as the visitors breezed to a 3-0 lead with just over half an hour gone, goals arriving through Cori Williams and a brace from Laura Williams. Ten minutes after the half-time whistle, Ingrid Aadland made it four and pushed the match well out of reach for the home side.
Burnley’s late consolation goal in the 89th minute marked the only goal Cardiff City Ladies have conceded in their FA Cup campaign this season.
The berth in the last 16 represents another milestone on an impressive bid from the club to return to the Women’s Championship after nearly a decade outside the second tier.
The Women’s FA Cup fifth round is scheduled for the final week of February.
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