USW women football 1st 9-0 University of Hertfordshire

USW Football - Image Matt Slater
Image: Matt Slater

By Will Gregory

USW ran riot against bottom of the league Hertfordshire in a very one-sided affair at the Sports Park.

The home side started the game as they meant to go on with a dominant period of possession football that denied the visitors any chance to gain a foothold.

In the 10th minute, USWs long period of commanding football saw midfielder Chloe Chivers finish off a tremendous goal from the halfway line.

And only seconds after the hosts struck again when tricky winger Monet Legall found the bottom corner with a goal she made look effortless.

As Hertfordshire were still recovering from those two quick-fire goals, Josie Day caught them off guard when she connected perfectly with a volley just outside the 18 yard box that rippled past the demoralised goalkeeper.

Not long after, Legall was hungry for more, scoring a bottom corner effort from just outside the area to put USW 4-0 up at half time.

The second half began with USW playing a bit more defensively and at times they looked slightly complacent, squandering a number of goal chances.

In the 56th minute, after a period of blocked shots and half chances, Megan Saunders put and USW nerves to rest as she snuck the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper whose day was going from bad to worse.

Saunders was not done yet with a deflected effort falling right into her path before she struck it home for what was the easiest goal of the game.

USW carried on being as relentless as they were in the first half with Hertfordshire struggling to cope and only able to break up play with needless fouls. However, this soon went against them as Chivers got her second of the game from her own half as she lobbed the keeper again, this time from a set piece.

The home side kept on pushing forward even when the clock was running down and further goals from Joely Corrales and Saunders capped off the victory.

Overall, it was a classy performance from a USW side that looked unbeatable in every single position of the pitch.

The joint players of the match were Chivers and Saunders who both ran rings around the Hertfordshire defence and combined for five goals between them.