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Substitute Rachel Williams propelled Manchester United through to the fifth round of the FA Cup after her hat-trick helped cement a 7-0 victory over step three West Brom.
Melvine Malard opened the scoring for the fourth-placed Women’s Super League side in the 23rd minute at Leigh Sports Village, where it remained the game’s lone goal until the floodgates opened after the break.
Williams replaced Malard just before the hour, then nodded home twice from Anna Sandberg deliveries in the 77th and 79th minutes.
England international Ella Toone returned to action for the first time since she was sidelined with a calf injury in November, and added her name to the scoresheet when she curled in United’s fourth off the crossbar.
Celin Bizet added another in the 89th minute before Williams completed her hat-trick in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
But Bizet – who might have wanted credit for what might have been a final bundled touch on United’s second goal of the game – was not done either, bagging a brace in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
It was the only Women’s FA Cup game to go ahead after weather conditions forced the postponement of Durham’s trip to Brighton, while five of the competition’s Sunday fixtures have also been called off.
