The Royals progressed to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win after extra time.
The students were under immediate pressure from a series of early corners — one effort had to be cleared off the line — but they broke on the counter and Harriet Park’s attempted chip floated just over the crossbar.
As the game settled, Royals stalwarts Hannah Mackay-Wright and Shontelle Smith became more influential, and Smith’s 16th-minute effort was tipped on to the bar by keeper Hayley Julian.
Park and Charli Marvin linked well to create a couple of opportunities late in the first half for the students, Park’s effort going high and Marvin’s shot well saved by keeper Lauren Paterson.
In the second half, the Royals pushed Tabitha Seaton and Rose Morton into advanced positions and they continued to have the students on the back foot.
The Royals were then denied when Georgia Kennedy’s headed effort rebounded off the woodwork.
With seven minutes left, the Royals earned a penalty when Smith dribbled past defenders and was tripped in the box, but she could not find the target from the spot, and the game moved into extra time.
The Royals broke the deadlock in the 95th minute when Smith’s inswinging corner was touched in by the unfortunate Julian.
It was 2-0 a minute later when Morton advanced and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 18m out.
The Royals made sure of their place in the quarterfinals with two minutes left when Roome got to the byline and her cross was finished at close range by Katie Lewis.
In the Chatham Cup, the Royals men progressed with a 6-0 thumping of Roslyn-Wakari.
Nicholas Zambrano put the Royals ahead after 17 minutes, and Josh McCarroll was getting forward at every opportunity to deliver telling crosses.
Roslyn’s first opportunity came when they broke from a corner and Nathan Wilkie bore down on goal but keeper Jonathan Tucker dived bravely at Wilkie’s feet.
The Royals took full advantage when Will Turner ran through the defence to drive his shot low past Tom Stevens with 28 minutes gone.
Roslyn’s best spell was at the start of the second half when Ben Salisbury and Lewis Wall went close.
The rest of the action was condensed into a 12-minute spell starting with Raven August’s headed goal after 64 minutes from McCarroll’s corner.
Ryan Mairs made it 4-0 four minutes later, Roslyn’s Fraser Anderson was sent off, Cam Clark made it 5-0 for the Royals just a few minutes after entering the game, and fellow sub Jack Julian scored the Royals’ sixth and final goal after 76 minutes.
The Royals are joined in the next round by University, who beat Northern 2-1 at Logan Park on Saturday night under floodlights.
The game was played at a blistering pace in torrential rain and wind, which made for a very slippy surface and resulted in both teams making mistakes and turning the ball over, though a good crowd of supporters created a warm atmosphere.
University opened the scoring when a long free kick into Northern’s penalty box led to Ben Campbell’s glancing header beating keeper Eli Urwin.
Neither team created many clear opportunities to score until the 79th minute when Varsity doubled their lead, Sam Clegg deflecting Sam Murray’s cross, which trickled over the line to make it 2-0.
Northern pulled a goal back five minutes later when Al Julanda Al Mawali was fouled in the box and the resultant penalty was converted by Tyler Muir.
However, Muir was sent off a minute later and the students saw out the final minutes to move into the final 16.
The draw for the next round of both knockout competitions is made tomorrow.
By Neville Watson
