by Jamil Bin-Salih & James Macken
NINE goals separated the sides as University of South Wales Women’s 1st got back to winning ways with a resounding victory over University of Exeter Women’s 1st.
From the outset, USW played with a high intensity and it took just five minutes for the home side to register their first goal of the afternoon when Lucy McDonough’s strike was followed up by #2 after the University of Exeter keeper could only parry the initial effort.
Four minutes later, McDonough came close to netting again, this time her shot rattled the outside of the woodwork before ricocheting out of play.
USW doubled their lead on the 14-minute mark, Montana May latched on to a loose ball on the edge of the box before racing through on goal and slotting past Exeter’s stopper.
The hosts made it 3-0 in the 39th minute, USW captain Ffion Llewellyn’s shot from the edge of the box took a deflection before looping into the back of the net.
On the stroke of half-time, McDonough’s persistence finally paid off as she made it 4-0 to USW. After a marauding run down the left wing, the USW forward powered a low shot underneath the Exeter ‘keeper to heap more misery on the visitors.
USW started strong in the second half with a few early chances. 13 minutes into the half USW made it five with another goal from Lucy McDonough following a counter attack.
Exeter continued to crumble under the pressure from USW with a thunderbolt strike from Ffion Llewellyn five minutes later.
Llewellyn later made it seven with another effort from outside the area leaving the Exeter keeper rooted to the ground, a clear dominant force.
The goals kept coming for USW 1st as Lucy McDonough achieved a hat-trick picking up a loose ball from an error in defence. Shortly following that attack, #5 finished the goal-scoring by slotting an effort neatly in the bottom corner.
“We proved we were a team that can compete with others,” said captain Ffion Llewellyn shortly after the dominant display on the pitch.
USW head into next week’s fixture against top of the table Southampton Solent with a phenomenal victory under their belt.
Star player: Lucy McDonough
