Rebels run out of gas as Bristol Rovers hit them for 10
An injury-ravaged Worthing Women went down to a club record 10-0 defeat at the Memorial Ground against Bristol Rovers in National League Division 1SW.
Following last week’s big cup win against Steyning Town DS, confidence was high but tempered by the fact the Gas Girls were gunning for promotion.
There was a place for latest signing Katie Laker in the starting XI. Laura Huish returned to partner her at the heart of the back four, as Reds were forced into a tactical reshuffle. Regulars Tilly Jones and Skye Bacon were recalled while Zella Moore was the sole sub.
After the pre-match rain had subsided and one of the assistant referees had recovered from a fall in the tunnel area, the game got under way 17 minutes late.
It took barely 60 seconds for Worthing keeper Ella Hunkin to be first to be called into action and she improvised with a right-footed clearance when Amelie Gould lined up a shot from close range.
Worthing’s No1 frustrated the same player again moments later, pulling off a fine save to concede a corner after the defence had struggled to clear their lines.
However, despite the close attentions of newbie Laker, Gould wasn’t going to be denied a third time; drifting inside off the left wing and curling an edge-of-the-box effort up and over Hunkin to open the scoring.
She repeated the trick just shy of the quarter-hour mark, following good combination play between Annys Turner and Chloe Snook, although Hunkin allowed her lower attempt to slip from her grasp.
A rare Rebels attack saw Bacon slip a pass through the middle for Laila Malcolm to latch on to, only for the near-side assistant to raise his flag for offside.
Hunkin’s trusty right boot came to the rescue once more to repel a piledriver off the inside-right channel by Charlotte Buxton.
Unfortunately the respite proved to be all too brief. A risky ball across the box by Bacon forced Hunkin into a hurried clearance that was returned with interest by Chloe Bassett into an unguarded net. Two minutes on, Bassett doubled her tally after Hunkin’s parry of Gould’s delivery had fallen at her feet.
Chloe Snook headed down and wide at the back stick before the visitors’ last line of defence got a vital touch to divert Turner’s cross out for a second successive corner.
The final say of the half went to Worthing’s Malcolm, who shepherded the ball away from danger - and the far upright - when Bassett’s latest flag-kick threatened to cause more problems when TJ Gauvain got on the end of it.
After the break, Rovers did anything but take their foot of the gas; increasing their advantage via a long ball releasing Snook to advance and deftly lob Hunkin for her first.
Close to the hour mark, Bassett took a break from delivering corners to round off an excellent team move at close quarters to complete a hat-trick.
The slick surface was proving problematic and Hunkin dropped a clanger when her attempts at claiming a high ball resulted in it drooping at the feet of Bassett, who unselfishly squared for Snook to bag her second.
A free-kick was sent into the danger zone to be clinically dispatched by Buxton. Five to go and more set-piece problems were posed by Bristol Rovers, presenting sub Ella Pemberton with an opportunity she cushioned with her right instep which was just over.
Gould picked out the bottom corner from long range for her third while Helena Costa almost made an immediate impact when she fizzed in a low cross.
Snook made it a treble-treble by becoming the third Gas Girl to net thrice, drilling in a dead ball that hadn’t been dealt with.
Hunkin recovered a modicum of composure to push Gould’s late shot to safety in stoppage time and a partially-cleared corner was lashed over by Buxton.
The loss leaves Worthing bottom of the table.