Norwich City Women were made to work hard by spirited tier five side Redditch Borough to reach the second round of the Women’s FA Cup in a thrilling contest at The Nest. 

Without head coach Perry Northeast, recovering from knee surgery, goals from Grace Riglar and Faith Harrison either side of Daisy Clements’ stunner gave City the advantage at the break. 

The highest-ranked team Redditch have ever faced, Norwich were pegged back again by Jessica Hood, but stormed to victory courtesy of Sienna Booty and a brace by substitute Issy Moore. 

City expectedly dominated the early stages, but were unable to breach Redditch’s brave resistance until Riglar’s header home from a corner. 

But the visitors kept up their inspired start and Clements pounced on a loose touch and levelled with a spectacular 36-yard strike past Poppy Irvine. 

Harrison then calmly rounded the keeper on the end of a high ball for an easy finish. 

However, loose passing at the back allowed Boro top scorer Alisha Sheridan to square for Hood to tap home just six minutes after the restart. 

But Booty slammed Harrison’s cross into the top-left corner after an electric run down the right and into the box by her team-mate. 

Moore slotted in a low cross from the right before chasing down a short back pass and tapping it past the keeper to settle it minutes from full time. 

Norwich City: Irvine, Riglar (Symonds 87), King (Hailes 76), Williams (Wallace 58), Daviss, Kennard (Moore 76), Harrison, Groves, Densley (Martin 76), Francis, Booty

Redditch Borough: Dabson, Griffiths, Atter, Birch, Bailey, Maguire, Clements, Bevan, Sheridan, Martin, Hood