Workington Reds Ladies continued their free-scoring start to their pre-season programme with an 11-1 victory over Morecambe Ladies.
It was a nice way to mark a temporary return to their original Borough Park home and built on last week’s big win over Annan Athletic Ladies.
It was a spirited young Morecambe side but the Reds went ahead as early as the fifth minute when a switch of play through midfield found Eleanor McDonald in space on the right.
McDonald delivered clinically to find Sophie Nutter on the edge of the box and her cushioned lay off found Hayley Bracken whose one touch finish found the back of the net and put the Reds in front.
The second goal came at the 13th minute as the Ladies found themselves under slight pressure at the back.
A clearance from Linzi Donaldson was flicked on to find Emi Rudd and she spun before playing a perfectly weighted pass to find Bracken’s intelligent run in behind the Morecambe line.
Bracken adjusted as she met the ball and fired home from 18 yards to double her tally.
Morecambe pulled one back soon after, when a dangerous free kick from the right was pounced on and driven home.
The Reds two-goal advantage was restored 10 minutes later when McDonald cut across the ball to feed another good run from Bracken. She settled and found the top corner again from 18 yards out to complete her hat-trick within 27 minutes of her return to action after a 12 month lay-off through injury.
Changes on the half hour mark saw Liv Bennett introduced on the left and within two minutes, she found herself in the right place at the right time to tap home from close range after good work by Hannah Geen out wide on the right.
Five minutes later Bennett had doubled her tally with a first touch finish after making a well-timed run to meet a ball threaded through from Naomi Foster.
Bennett’s 12 minute hat-trick was completed just before the break as Rudd provided another intelligent ball to break the Morecambe defence. Bennett timed her run to remain onside and slotted home efficiently.
After enjoying a 6-1 interval lead the Reds only waited eight second half minutes to increase their lead. Keeley Holliday’s attacking movement was met from a throw in from the left and she skilfully skipped through would be challenges.
From the byline she pulled the ball back to find Rudd supporting and she slotted home with ease to open her account in her first outing of the season.
The Foster-Bennett combination struck again three minutes later. Foster’s looping ball forward wasn’t dealt with by the Morecambe defender and Bennett was able to capitalise as she controlled well and finished with composure.
Just after the hour mark the Ladies made it nine as Jess Reid bagged her first of two on the day. The Reds’ initial attack had been cleared, but Rudd was quick to pounce on a spilled clearance and she poked the ball through to find Reid 20 yards out.
Reid showed the same level of composure as had been evident throughout as she lifted the ball over the Morecambe keeper.
Nutter’s pressure on the half-way line was the catalyst for Reid’s second ten minutes later. Keen closing down gave Nutter possession and she quickly fed Reid’s well timed run who again lifted the ball over the keeper from 20 yards out.
The scoring was finished off with a little under ten minutes remaining when Bennett bagged her fifth of the day in a move involving three players which started on the home side’s 18-yard line.
McDonald carried the ball out of defence, scanning for options before finding Bracken’s feet. Her strength protected the ball before feeding the overlapping Bennett who finished from a tight angle on the right to sign off the day in style.
With 11 goals bagged, it would be easy to focus solely on the attacking element of the performance. In reality, the composure in the Reds defensive play was equal in quality to that of the attacking play and this proved to be the bedrock that enabled and assisted their dominance higher up the pitch.
On the performance, manager Paul Mackenzie said: “We are fully aware that the tests will get tougher when the season gets under way in three week’s time and indeed, starting next weekend against Queen of the South.
“We are extremely pleased with the progress that we are making and in the quality of our play. The majority of the squad has featured in these games which has given us the chance to see different combinations as we look towards the season starting.
“It was great to see Hayley back playing and to bag three goals was just rewards for her efforts to get back in the best shape she could be in. Liv has really pushed herself since we started back in early July and the benefits of her first full pre-season with us is clear to see in the quality of her performance today and with the five goals she scored.
“It is important that we don’t just focus on the players that scored today. The quality delivered from every player today was superb and it’s testament to this when I say it would be difficult to pick a player of the game from today.
Team: Laura Miller, Eleanor McDonald, Naomi Foster, Helen Wagstaff, Linzi Donaldson, Keeley Holliday, Hannah Ridgewell, Hannah Geen, Emi Rudd, Sophie Nutter, Hayley Bracken, Sophie Birkett, Kayce Whinery, Lauren Campbell, Jess Reid, Megan Yarnold, Liv Bennett.
