Women's Report: Portsmouth 0-4 Saints
Southampton FC Women picked up their first points in the Women’s League Cup with their sixth consecutive win in the south coast derby against Portsmouth.
In an assured first half, a quickfire pair of goals from Emma Thompson and Megan Collett put Saints two goals ahead just after 20 minutes, before Thompson added another after the half hour.
Thompson capped off her fine afternoon with an excellent finish in stoppage time, sealing the win and her first career hat-trick in the process.
Remi Allen made a handful of changes during the break from league action as Benedicte Haaland came in for her first start of the season, with a host of Under-21s faces called up to the bench.
Saints' League Cup derby day line-up. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)
With confidence high after the two sides’ first meeting of the season - a 5-0 drubbing at Fratton Park - Saints had to ensure they backed that performance up in very different surroundings at a blustery Westleigh Park.
There were a couple of early sighters as Saints established early control; Paige Peake had a free-kick blocked and Milly Mott had a strong penalty appeal waved away in the first ten minutes.
The best early chance came after a smart turn by Alice Griffiths in midfield that opened up space to play in Lucia Kendall, whose dangerous cross narrowly evaded Collett’s darting run.
The first goal wasn’t far away though, and it only took Thompson one shot to open the scoring and her account for the season.
With her back to goal, she shifted into space with a clever touch before her angled drive across goal nestled into the bottom corner.
One goal very quickly became two as Saints stunned Pompey again four minutes later when a bouncing ball wasn’t cleared and Collett arrived to strike left footed from just inside the area.
The full-back’s looping shot was almost kept out by Eve Annets in goal, but the home goalkeeper’s despairing dive and touch wasn’t enough to stop Saints’ second.
Emma Thompson celebrates her opener.
Remi Allen’s side were brimming with confidence and settled into comfortable possession again after creating their two-goal buffer.
The third goal arrived just after the half hour mark as Thompson struck once; a clever low free-kick delivery from Peake wasn’t cleared, allowing Saints’ striker to smash home from close range.
Pompey almost found a goal back when Emma Jones fired over from close range after a counter attack, but that was their only chance of note.
Just before the break. Collett burst forward and saw a low shot saved at the near post as she was denied a brace of her own in a carbon copy move from her memorable goal at Fratton Park a month earlier.
Back-to-back derby goals for Meg Collett.
With the job all but done in the first half, there were significantly fewer chances in the second period but Saints stayed professional to see the tie out.
Rachel Rowe had a rasping shot on the angle saved as the rebound was cleared off the line when Kendall attempted to prod in a fourth.
Portsmouth’s Jones cut a frustrated figure up top for the hosts as she fired a volley well over the crossbar on the turn, as any sense of an unlikely comeback slipped away.
Substitute Chloe Peplow almost added the fourth goal when she poked Peake’s corner over the crossbar from close range, and fellow sub Lucy Watson went close in the final minutes after being introduced for her Saints debut.
Then, in stoppage time, Thompson capped off an excellent team and personal performance with her third of the game when she bent the ball into the top corner with a first-time finish from just inside the area.
The resounding win earns Saints their first points in the Women’s League Cup, and puts them four games unbeaten ahead of the international break.
Portsmouth: Annets, Barrett, Casley, Williams (Quirk 58), Coan, Collins, Hutchings (Freeland 67), Barker (c), Rolf (Rowbotham 67), McLachlan, Jones.
Subs not used: Etheridge, McEwen, McLaughlin, Dent, Hornby.
Goals: N/A.
Saints: Haaland, Collett, Bourne (Purfield 46), Mott, Peake, Brown (Nohasiarisoa 83), Griffiths (Peplow 72), Kendall (c), Rowe (Palmer 63), Thompson, Pike (Watson 63).
Subs not used: Stenson, Pettit, Roberts, Hotston.
Goals: Thompson 18, 33, 90+4, Collett 22.
Referee: Aaron Ford.
Attendance: TBC
