Arsenal triumph in Russia

English champions Arsenal LFC appear on course for a UEFA Women's Cup semi-final place after a 2-0 victory at CSK VVS Samara in the first leg of their quarter-final meeting.

Early goals
The Russian team, one of two sides in the last eight competing at this stage for the first time, found life difficult against Arsenal and were 2-0 down in the first 13 minutes.

Maggs on target
Ellen Maggs put the Londoners ahead on five minutes, and Pauline MacDonald added the other to leave CSK facing a tremendous task in the second leg at St Albans City FC on 28 November. Arsenal are bidding to go one better than last season, when they lost in the quarter-finals to Toulouse FC.

'A superb effort'
Arsenal assistant manager Danny O'Shea said after the win: "We had a game plan and the players carried it out to perfection. To win 2-0 away from home with a couple of our top players missing was a superb effort." O'Shea was standing in for regular manager Vic Akers, who was fulfilling his other role as Arsenal FC's kit manager.

Scandinavian test
The winners of this tie will progress to meet either SK Trondheims-Ørn of Norway or Denmark's Fortuna Hjørring, the two sides having drawn their first leg 2-2.