Moors Ladies smashed six unanswered goals past Harrogate Town at New Ferens Park on Sunday to move up to third place in the NERWFL Premier Division table.

A clinical performance saw struggling Harrogate brushed aside in Durham as Billy Shackleton’s side underlined their promotion credentials ahead of what is set to be an exciting run-in.

The tone was set inside the first minute when some effective pressing from Moors put their visitors under pressure and a short backpass was seized upon by Caitlin Bates, who intercepted to round the keeper and score the opening goal from a tight angle.

It was 2-0 on seven minutes. This time some great work down the right from Autumn Colledge saw a cross come into the penalty area for Abi Kisby, whose first effort was parried by the Harrogate keeper before she reacted quickest to ram home the rebound.

There were just 13 minutes on the clock when Shackleton’s side added a third goal, when Kisby notched her second with a well-taken back post header from Shannon Reed’s pinpoint corner.

Beth Enguita then twisted and turned into space on the left to whip a ball into the box for Autumn Colledge who got her name on the scoresheet with a close-range finish for 4-0 on 17 minutes.

Kisby then turned provider on the half hour, cleverly flicking the ball over the head of a Harrogate defender before cutting it back for Bates who picked her spot to clinch her second of the game and Moors’ fifth.

Astonishingly, Moors made it 6-0 just before half time when Autumn College caught out the visiting keeper with a ferocious strike which found the corner of the net for her second of the afternoon.

As to be expected, Moors controlled the game after the break and Bates came close to her hat-trick with an effort which came back off the post, while debutant Lucy McIntosh could have marked her arrival with a but saw her shot saved.

“On the one hand I am delighted because we scored six in the first half – but on the other, we’ve then drawn the second half 0-0,” mused Shackleton afterwards.

“Importantly though, we’ve got the three points, and we’ve picked up a big win which gives us confidence going into the next few weeks and I still believe we can perform better.

“We know we’re in for a tough game next week against South Shields; they’ll be a different side to the one we faced earlier in the season but hopefully can carry our momentum forward.”

Full Time: Moors 6 Harrogate Town 0

Moors: Miller, Middleton, Knox, McIntosh, N Jackson, Gray, Reed, A Colledge, Enguita, Bates, Kisby.
Subs: Mole, Seymour, Grayson, Hemmingway, L Jackson.