Leeds Modernians 1-3 Liverpool Feds
Sunday 25th October 2026 14:00
FA Women’s Cup Round One
Leeds Modernians Sports Club
A slightly rotated starting XI for the FA Cup tie saw Hannah Fryer, Sophie Andrews and Maddie Bouggess come into the team from the beginning. Last week’s starters, Holly McEvoy and Henna Butcher, were on the bench for this fixture and Emma Johnson was not included in the matchday squad.
An unpredictable weather forecast turned the match into a real game of two halves. A dominant first half from the Feds, with the strong wind blowing in their favour, put them 3-0 up going into the break. Fighting against the wind in the second half allowed Leeds Modernians to find a small chance of a comeback, however high concentration and determination from the Feds restricted the hosts from scoring more than one goal, giving the Feds an important 3-1 away victory in the First Round of the FA Cup.
Liverpool Feds have been drawn away against Stoke City in the Second Round, with the fixture due to take place on Sunday 15th November.
Similar to last week’s opening goal in Loughborough, the Feds started the game on the front foot, taking just 46 seconds to find the opening goal of the game. As expected with the weather conditions, both teams were very direct, causing multiple turnovers in possession in the first minute. An early first-timed lofted kick forward from Andrews, caught the Mods defence off guard, allowing Bouggess to quickly get in behind and neatly finish it off, comfortably finding the bottom left corner.
Neither side could really get comfortable in possession, however dominance continued from the away side in the opening 20 minutes, with Bouggess coming close to her second of the match. A clever turn away from her opponent inside the penalty area gave her some space for a shot, which narrowly went over the crossbar.
A fast and punishing counterattack from the Feds doubled their lead in the 21st minute of the game. Following a Modernians throw-in on the right wing that was quickly dealt with, Andrews received the ball and played a one-touch pass into the path of Walters, who surged forward with the ball to the half-way line. Walters played an inch-perfect pass through to Brady and the Feds number 10 made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
The first half chances did not stop there for the Feds. Shortly after the second goal, Brady’s right-footed, hooked attempt following a corner hit the outside of the crossbar. Two minutes later, a magnificent through ball from Carrington put Brady in behind the Leeds Mods defence again. Brady delivered a dangerous cross from the right wing into the penalty area, giving Bouggess a golden chance to find her team’s third of the match, but unfortunately her shot went wide of the post.
Additional attempts from Brady and Walters were saved by Modernians goalkeeper Flaherty, until eventually, the third goal for the Feds deservedly came, with Jones finding the net ten minutes before half time. A Feds throw-in from the left flank found the feet of Bouggess, who played a quick pass to the feet of Walters. Walters looked up and played an incisive pass into Jones, bursting into the box from the right wing and Ellie Jones made no mistake as she scored with one touch, beating Flaherty from the edge of the six-yard box.
The Feds were three goals to the good at the half-way stage, but they were somewhat unlucky not to have scored more. A shot from Brady hit the side netting of the bottom-right corner, after an impressive solo run, and then minutes later, the crossbar saved the hosts once again following another shot from Brady. This time she tested the goalkeeper with her left foot, and her curling attempt looked as though it was destined for the top corner, until Flaherty just did enough to tip the ball onto the frame of the goal, which then bounced back into the penalty box until it was cleared away by a Modernians defender.
With the wind only getting stronger, the second half was similar to the first, just momentum had changed as the sides swapped ends. The Feds tried the best they could to maintain control of the game, but like the first half, neither side could get any real control in possession.
Due to this, there was not much to report on in the first 20 minutes of the second half. The most entertaining part was McAloon struggling to take a goal kick because the ball would not stay still!
Despite the second half weather disadvantage, the Feds kept on battling through the storm. A chance arose for Andrews to put the game to bed, but her attempt from the edge of the penalty area went past the frame of the goal.
After that, the hosts took a short corner and Bates found some space for a shot from outside the box. She struck the ball well and tested McAloon for the first time in the game as the Feds goalkeeper saved it comfortably.
The hosts grew into the game and put more pressure on the Feds when they were in possession. Mods attacker, Bates, managed to pinch the ball off Andrews in a threatening area. The Leeds Modernians forward hit the ball cleanly from the edge of the penalty box and her stunning effort hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the roof of the net, giving McAloon no chance of saving it.
With just under 30 minutes left of the game, the Feds had a real challenge on their hands to deny any chance of a comeback from the hosts. The wind continued to make things awkward for the Feds defensively. A Modernians long free kick from inside their own half was caught drastically by the wind, causing the ball to fly into the Feds’ penalty area, only for it to be safely tipped over the bar by McAloon.
Regardless of the strange weather conditions, Liverpool Feds continued to stay strong defensively and put a stop to any chance the hosts had of getting back into the game. It was certainly not the prettiest game of football, but an entertaining one at that, as the Feds are through to the second round of the FA Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 victory away at Leeds Modernians.
Words: Louie Sparks