Foxes on fire

Nine goal demolition of Steel City

WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE MIDLANDS DIVISION ONE LOUGHBOROUGH FOXES 9 STEEL CITY WANDERERS 0

LOUGHBOROUGH Foxes trounced Steel City Wanderers on Sunday afternoon to keep title challenge on track at the Loughborough University Stadium.

Foxes started strongly, testing the visitors keeper twice in the first five minutes and early signs suggested she was going to be busy for most of the afternoon. Charlotte Cooper blasted her first effort into the top corner and the hosts didn’t look back.

Rebecca Knight poked home an inviting cross from Laura Steele and Cooper made it three after 14 minutes, with both attackers linking up well inside the 18-yard box.

Olivia Bramley added her name to the scoresheet as she rose above everyone to nod home with an excellent bullet header to make it 4-0 after 20 minutes.

The show continued though and Loughborough showed no signs of slacking off. Laura Dexter scored what could be considered as one of the goals of the season as she spotted the keeper off her line and executed an inch perfect lob from at least 30-yards.

Tiana Hicks got in on the action by rolling her effort into the bottom corner following a lovely through pass from Chloe Young and Bramley completed the rout of the first half with another delightful header, putting the hosts 7-0 up at the break.

Cooper scored her second hat trick in as many weeks after pouncing on a mix up between the visitor’s keeper and defender to make it 8-0 and Knight rounded off a great afternoon by slotting her second past the goalkeeper with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Jodie Bartle could have made it double figures at the end, but was denied by another excellent save from the keeper, who tipped one effort onto the post, and the second was cleared from the line.

A thoroughly professional afternoon from the hosts sees them keep a fifth consecutive clean sheet in the league and adding what could prove to be some valuable goals to their goal difference.

The team travel to Rotherham United Ladies next Sunday.

Loughborough Foxes 2017/18 team photo: Back row from left to right: Lee Quinn (Capacity App), Chloe Young, Lauren Cartwright, Laura Steele, Jade Smallbones, Amy Burle, Olivia Bramley, Vicky Brackenbury, Shauna Chambers, Siobhan Eastham. Front row, from left to right: Charlotte Cooper, Hattie Simes, Pip Cassidy, Becky Matlock, Jodie Bartle, Lindsey Tugby, Tiana Hinks. Picture by Andy Smith.