Moors Ladies extended their unbeaten run to an impressive eight games as they put West Allotment Celtic to the sword in an epic encounter at Tyneside Cricket Club on Sunday.
Billy Shackleton’s side have not tasted defeat in three months and were rarely in serious trouble at the weekend as they smashed eight goals past West Allotment for the second time this season.
Moors had the ball in the net with less than five minutes on the clock when top scorer Autumn Colledge nodded home, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.
However, Moors were in front shortly afterwards when Holly Middleton was brought down on the edge of the box and Courtney Mole clipped a wonderful free kick over the wall and into the net via the inside of the post.
Courtney Mole then turned provider when her corner was headed home by Autumn Colledge for 2-0, before the home side pulled a goal back with a clever finish over Moors keeper Nicole Scott.
A nice passing move involving Courtney Mole, Loren Salkeld and Coral Colledge opened up the hosts’ defence again for Katy Hemmingway to run forward and find Autumn Colledge to double her tally and increase the lead to 3-1.
West Allotment reacted positively again to the setback and made it 3-2 on the half-hour mark when a cross caused problems in the area and was headed into the net.
Moors once again restored their two-goal advantage pretty quickly though as Hemmingway again proved the architect, this time setting Hannah Knox to chip the keeper and make it 4-2.
Young Moors striker Lily Jackson scampered clear of the home defence just before half time and, when her shot was saved by the keeper, Autumn Colledge was well placed to convert for her hat-trick as Moors scored their fifth of the afternoon.
West Allotment gave themselves a little hope shortly after half time when they bundled the ball in from close range but Moors quickly grabbed a sixth goal as Autumn Colledge played in Hemmingway to score.
Half time substitute Meg Foster then got in on the act when she broke the offside trap to run clear on goal and produce a clinical finish past the keeper to make it 7-3.
Salkeld fired an effort agonisingly wide as Moors continued to press and that pressure told when 16-year-old Jackson got on the end of Autumn Colledge’s cross to the front post to fire in her second league goal of the campaign.
“I am pleased we were able to take the three points,” said Shackleton afterwards.
“It was a tough game today, the ground wasn’t ideal with all the recent rain and it’s a smaller pitch which restricted our passing play a little – but we found a way to win ugly and we’ll need do that a times this season.”
The victory pushes Moors up a place in the NERWFL Northern Division table to fourth, where they lie five points behind leaders Washington with two games in hand.
Full Time: West Allotment Celtic 3 Moors 8
Moors: Scott, Salkeld, O Mole, Welch-Davison, Saunders, C Mole, C Colledge, Hemmingway, Middletson, Know, A Colledge.
Subs: Jackson, Foster, Farrugia, Kisicka, Seymour.
