The South West Phoenix Firebirds moved through to the next round of the BankWest State Cup with a 7-4 win over a spirited Sorrento side at WML Stadium on Sunday.
The Firebirds made hard work of it at times but booked their place in the next round with hat-tricks from Eleanor Coventry and Courtney Butlion along with a goal from Asha McClurg.
The Firebirds welcomed back Captain Lucy Scott from injury but started without Katie McDermott due to general soreness.
Firebirds went ahead early when McClurg scored her first goal this season, heading in from Skye Dalton’s corner.
Sorrento hit back soon after, equalising on a counter attack in a sign of things to come.
Their pace on the break caused Firebirds problems throughout, and the team’s lack of ability to keep possession compounded the issue.
Butlion put Firebirds ahead again before the teams traded goals twice as the Firebirds went into half time 4-3.
Sorrento were the happier team at half time, with the previously undefeated Firebirds in danger.
That danger eased when Butlion scored her second early in the second half to make it 5-3.
Sorrento came though again and made it 5-4 with quarter of an hour to play.
However, it was the familiar sight of Eleanor Coventry who put the game beyond Sorrento when she calmly scored her third and Firebirds’ sixth.
Butlion added her third and Firebirds’ seventh soon after.
While Firebirds got the win they wanted, coach Stephen Suttie was not pleased with the overall performance.
“We put ourselves under pressure by struggling to retain possession, which previously we have been good at,” he said.
“They came at us and had the pace to punish our turnovers.
“Thankfully we had three teenagers up front – Coventry, Butlion and Dalton – who carved Sorrento open time and again.”
Firebirds are away to bottom place Gosnells this Sunday as they look to keep top spot on the ladder.
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