Leicestershire Women’s League Cup — First Round
Sunday 12th October 2025
Harborough Town Women First 5-1 Brookside Athletic Reserves
Player of the Match – Ema Garcia
Report – Lucy Mister
Image – Phil Passingham
Harborough Town Women produced a dominant display on Sunday to secure their place in the next round of the Leicestershire Women’s League Cup, beating Brookside Athletic Reserves 5–1.
From the opening whistle, the home side controlled the tempo, moving the ball confidently through the middle and exploiting space out wide. Their early composure set the tone for what would become a well-earned victory.
The breakthrough came when Dom Ratcliffe McClelland latched onto a well-placed pass from Darcey Leat, finishing clinically to give Harborough a deserved lead. With momentum firmly on their side, Harborough continued to build pressure, linking up smartly across the pitch. Georgi Holdsworth doubled the advantage soon after, before captain Scarlett Godefroy added a third to round off an impressive first-half performance.
Brookside started the second half brightly and pulled one back, breaking through a high Harborough line to make it 3–1. Rather than letting the shift in momentum unsettle them, Harborough responded decisively. Their midfield regained control, and a well-taken goal from Sabrina Bond quickly restored the three-goal cushion.
As the match wore on, Harborough continued to press, earning a series of corners that tested Brookside’s defence. Their persistence paid off late on when Brookside conceded a penalty which Ema Garcia converted confidently from the spot to seal a convincing 5–1 win.
Congratulations to Ema Garcia, named Player of the Match for her tireless work in midfield and for capping off the victory with the late penalty. And a big thank you to everyone who came out to support the team.