MILLE Malsom hit a hat-trick as Ross Juniors Women advanced to the semi-final of the HFA County Cup on Sunday with a 5-2 win over 10-player Wellington West Mercia.

In the first half, Ross summoned their worst performance of the season which energised a Wellington team who played the game a woman short.

The visitors deserve huge credit for making a real game of it, taking the lead early on after Ross failed to deal with a corner.

But Ross finally got their act together equalising after a brilliant cross was met with a looping header from Malsom for 1-1.

However, Wellington hit back again after a long free-kick into the box was met by an unmarked winger who fired home to make it 2-1, which stayed the score to half-time.

The Ross half-time team talk may have featured some stern words and the response was swift, as within six minutes of the restart Ross turned the game on its head.

Malsom cut inside to beat her marker and Wellington’s stand-in keeper couldn’t keep out the shot to make it 2-2.

And then the ball broke to Keira Brain 20 yards out who hit a missile into the corner of the goal to give Juniors a 3-2 lead.

Ross then passed the ball better and controlled the game for the first time.

Malsom completed her hat-trick and Amy Riggs got on the score sheet with a first-class, first-time finish after a beautiful ball in from the right from Lily Powell to seal the victory.

Ross will host Belmont in the semi-final on Sunday, March 26.

Ross Ladies lost 6-4 in their Ross Invitational Cup semi-final against higher-league Ludlow, despite a Danie Ward hat-trick.

Juniors took the lead four times in the first half to go in at the break 4-3 up.

But they suffered a serious setback right on half-time with a player having a clash of heads with an opponent.

The injured player was taken to hospital with concussion – the second time in a month that the team has been hit by such an injury.

This incident seemed to affect the already depleted squad for Ross, as Ludlow took control in the second half and deservedly ran out 6-4 winners with two goals coming late on as Ross tried to get back in the game.

Juniors’ other goalscorer was Charlotte Hall.

The club praised the Ludlow paramedic opponent who immediately took control of the injured player.