Post-Match Report

Arsenal Ladies 5-1 Rayo Vallecano - Report

Rayo Vallecano -

Boreham Wood FC
Women’s Champs League
Women’s Champs League
  Arsenal Women
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Arsenal Women
5 1
  Rayo Vallecano
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Rayo Vallecano

By Oliver Yew at Meadow Park

Arsenal booked their place in the Women's Champions League Quarter-Finals after strolling to a 5-1 win against Rayo Vallecano at Meadow Park.

Laura Harvey's side completed a 6-2 aggregate victory thanks to goals from Jayne Ludlow, Kim Little, Rachel Yankey, Jordan Nobbs and Danielle Carter.

The Arsenal rout started in the 16th minute when Katie Chapman released Ellen White down the right and she found Ludlow unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box to tap into an empty net and give her side the lead.

Harvey's side were dominating proceedings and on the half-hour mark Rayo had defender Anita Rubio Mingorane to thank for keeping the deficit to one goal as White rounded the goalkeeper. Mingorane recovered well to clear the ball off the line.

Arsenal had another opportunity to get a decisive second goal before the break when Little beat the goalkeeper and picked out Nobbs but to the disbelief of all at Meadow Park the midfielder missed an open goal.

Arsenal started the second half in the same vein as the first as Nobbs and then Chapman went close to doubling the home side's advantage.

The goal eventually came as Ludlow powered down the right and picked out White. The England forward was on hand, as in the first half, to square for Little to score and make it 2-0 on the afternoon and 3-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal had a cushion but minutes later the visitors had a great chance to pull a goal back only for Gilly Flaherty to clear Garcia's shot off the line. It was end-to-end stuff by now and on the hour mark Yankey broke the visitors' offside trap and neatly lobbed Gomez Prada to put the Gunners three up.

Yankey had the ball in the back of the net again but her strike was ruled out for offside, much to the bemusement of the Arsenal players and management. But they were celebrating again soon as Nobbs made up for her earlier miss to grab the fourth.

Rayo pulled one back through Natalia's fierce strike but their joy was short-lived as substitute Carter's solo effort restored Arsenal's four-goal advantage and booked their place in the last eight.

The win capped an impressive 2011 for Harvey's side and they now await the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final draw on Thursday, December 17.

Referee: Efthalia Mitsi (GRE)
Attendance: 323

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