Women’s FA Cup photo essay – road to Wembley, second round: Wolves v Nottingham Forest

Wolves fans in the stands at CKW Stadium. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Following their convincing 7-1 victory over Sporting Khalsa in the first round, Wolves faced fellow third-tier side Nottingham Forest in the next round. The teams had met in the Women’s National League – Premier Division North – three months previously with Wolves winning 1-0.

A corner flag bearing the Wolverhampton Wanderers logo at CKW Stadium. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The Nottingham Forest Women coach at the stadium. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Admission price details at the CKW Stadium Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Fans make their way into the ground. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Wolves players warm up before the game. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

While fans warm up in the bar at CKW Stadium. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Regarding attendance today, it’s an unknown quantity. There have had attendances over 650 earlier this season, but the average has been about 300, something like that. I don’t know about today; with the terrible weather we’ve had recently that may affect it. Hopefully the fact that it’s an FA Cup match, it may be a lot more, you never know. The bar has been very successful this season with the big crowds they’ve had coming in, and it’s also a pleasure to work the bar as some great people come down here, it’s very enjoyable. Wolves used to play here quite a while ago, 2009 I think they used to play. They’ve come back again recently, and the standard has improved dramatically on the pitch and off the pitch, with all the people that are involved in running it now, it’s a major operation and it’s great to be involved with it as a football club ourselves. – Paul Tudor, bar manager at CKW Stadium, home of AFC Wulfrunians

A young Wolves fan. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

A Wolves fan checks his phone. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

I’ve been a Wolves fan since, well I’m 48 now so since about 10 for the men. The women, the last three or four years

Michelle Hunt, Wolves fan

The players get ready to take to the pitch. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The Wolves players huddle before kick-off. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Nottingham Forest do a huddle of their own before kick-off. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Nottingham Forest’s Mai Moncaster gears up to cross the ball into the box Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The visitors started brightly, pinning Wolves in their own half for much of the opening stage. After going close on two occasions – hitting the side netting and the woodwork – Forest’s Mai Moncaster opened the scoring in the 19th minute, beating the Wolves keeper Becky Thomas at her near post from a tight angle.

Wolves’ Tammi George and Forest’s Naomi Powell battle for the ball as the home side try to get back into the game. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The Forest keeper Emily Batty stays focused. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Forest’s Grace Walters prepares to take a throw-in. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The Wolves goalkeeper Becky Thomas is out quickly to smother the ball and thwart Forest’s Mai Moncaster. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Fans in the stand at CKW Stadium watch the action in the second half. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Naomi Powell scores Forest’s second goal from Hayley James’s cross to double their lead. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Wolves are denied by Emily Batty in the Forest goal. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Wolves chase the game but this leaves holes at the back, which are exploited by Niamh Reynolds in the 66th minute and Katie Middleton in the final minute of the game, to make it 4-0.

Niamh Reynolds scores Forest’s third goal. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Fans applaud after Niamh Reynolds scores Forest’s third goal. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Katie Middleton is congratulated by her teammates after scoring Nottingham Forest’s fourth goal. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

A tough game today for Wolves, Forest played really, really well, they took the game to them, it was a deserved win

Helen Smith, Wolves fan

The final whistle brings a 4-0 victory for Nottingham Forest and a chance for fans to take pictures and get autographs of the players.

A fan takes a picture of the Wolves captain, Kelly Darby. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

A Nottingham Forest player signs autographs after the match. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

The Wolves manager Dan McNamara. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

We struggled to get going from the start, but the girls have been fantastic … so I’m not questioning their efforts

Wolves manager Dan McNamara

Nottingham Forest’s Charlotte Steggles celebrates the victory with a fan. Photograph: Sophie Grew/The Guardian

Forest manager Andy Cook said of their third successive 4-0 victory in all competitions: “It was a fantastic performance and we are really pleased to get through. We would have taken a scruffy 1-0 win or we would have even taken going through on penalties, but to perform like that and score four goals is fantastic. We are delighted.” His side now face Stoke City in the third round of the Cup.