Returning to the Garrison for the first time since January, the U’s comfortably saw off Rayleigh Ladies First with a hat-trick from Lindsay Morgan, braces from Emily Ager & Ella Cahill and solos from Hayleigh Jenkins, Ruby Greenleaf, Jamie Newstead, Jac Craddock-Ball and Niamh Gamble.
The visitors were stunned in the opening minute by Jenkins’ trademark sprint down the right wing, combining with overlaps from Morgan which resulted in a corner. After a number of identical attacks, it took nine minutes for the ball to find the net, courtesy of a through-ball to Morgan for a cross-goal finish.
Morgan doubled the lead two minutes later with White and Newstead working together to supply her for a curler to the far post.
Newstead nearly bagged the U’s third soon after, her one-on-one with the keeper being brilliantly cut out by an outstretched foot. The opening ten minutes set the scene for what was to be one-way traffic for most of the game, but Rayleigh continued to battle hard to narrow the margin.
Despite the increase in defence from the visitors, the fifteen minute mark saw Jenkins send a lobbed ball out of the keeper’s reach following a neat supply from Adams.
Cahill joined the scoresheet five minutes later by sending home a parried shot from White, following brilliant footwork from the U’s along the left wing.
A mis-kick from Rayleigh’s ‘keeper fell favourably for Cahill in the twenty-sixth, allowing her time to drop her shoulder and send a left-foot finish into the side netting.
A cross deep into the danger area from Craddock-Ball caused an under-pressure defender to put the goal into her own net, bringing the tally to six goals in thirty-five minutes.
With half-time approaching, Morgan held the ball up to allow the U’s attackers to take their places before sending a perfectly-weighted ball to Greenleaf between two defenders for a right foot finish to the top-left and out of the ‘keeper’s reach.
As the final minute of the half approached, a scramble in the box saw a shot on goal saved by an outstretched arm of a Rayleigh defender, earning her a yellow card and the U’s a penalty. Newstead stepped up to put the spot kick away and send the U’s into half-time with an eight goal lead.
Supporters were still finding their seats when Gamble sent home a rocket in the opening minute, setting a similar tempo for the second half.
The tenth goal was scored by Craddock-Ball four minutes later, with a simple side-foot finish past the ‘keeper following a loose ball in the box.
The visitors continued to shout words of encouragement to each other and worked hard to supply their sole striker after opting to keep more players in their half. This was rewarded in the fifty-fifth minute with a perfectly-timed through ball demanding quick decision making from ‘keeper Clark. Her pace and bravery denied what would undoubtedly have put Rayleigh on the score sheet, but generated renewed enthusiasm for the visitors.
However, the following twenty minutes of play saw relentless attacks from the U’s with shots on goal entering double figures. The healthy score encouraged a lot of ambitious shots from outside the box, many falling wide of their target. As the seventy-fifth minute approached, the U’s regained some of their first-half composure, returning to triangle passes, one-twos and brilliant sprints on either wing. This soon provided the U’s with their eleventh goal, Adams sending a pacey ball to substitute Ager who nestled her first touch of the game past the ‘keeper to the far side netting.
Morgan secured her hat-trick two minutes later from a Jenkins corner, rewarding what was a fantastic workrate and supply throughout the match.
Further attacks dominated the closing minutes with the visiting ‘keeper turning out more great reflexes to deny further goals, but an eighty-ninth minute one-two between Ager and Craddock-Ball brought the tally to thirteen, sealing the U’s second highest lead this season.
The U’s next league match is away to ninth place Great Danes Women First on 17th March.
Colchester United Women starting XI: Adams, Cahill, Clark, Gamble, Howlett, Jenkins, Morgan, Mowatt, Newstead, Pope, White
Subs: Ager, Craddock-Ball, Farrow, Greenleaf
Player of the Match: Morgan
