Oxford United Women maintained their perfect start to the season with a sensational 5-0 victory over Cheltenham Town Ladies this afternoon.
Leah Burridge opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and then doubled her tally for the game in the 19th. Riva Casley scored the third on 23 minutes and Carly Johns added a fourth with 36 minutes on the clock. Johns then scored the fifth with 25 minutes left to play.
Jaime Gotch started her first game of the season replacing Cat Beaver in the starting line-up, and Sarah King came back into the starting eleven, with Jess Gray placed on the bench.
It was a slightly slower start to the game than Oxford has been used to of late; Johns had a few chances in the first ten but couldn’t find the target but then Daisy McLachlan won the ball high up the pitch. Her pass just missed Johns but found Burridge on the edge of the box, who rifled the ball high into the Cheltenham net for her fourth of the season. 1-0 Oxford.
United stepped it up and doubled their lead within minutes. Shelly Provan went on a marauding run from left-back and her fantastic cross found Burridge at the back stick. In her form, she was never going to miss and calmly headed home for Oxford's second.
In the 23rd minute, the Yellows were 3-0 up. Naomi Cole's free-kick was met by Casley who towered above the Robinesses' defence and nodded the ball in off the crossbar for her second of the season and United’s third.
Then, with ten minutes left of the half, Johns got in on the action. United’s number 9 found hersel one on one with the keeper and was composure personified, delightfully chipping Aimee Watson and scoring Oxford’s fourth. If the game wasn’t already put to bed, it was now.
Cheltenham had their best chance of the half shortly after when Jade Grove hit the crossbar in the 41st minute.
U’s Manager Liam Gilbert had spoken about being more clinical, and this first-half performance epitomized that. The 227 fans at Court Place Farm had been spoiled rotten by United’s emphatic finishing and tenacity that sent them into the break with a four-goal lead.
Despite the score line, Rose Kite had her busiest 90 minutes yet this season. In the 56th minute, the U’s keeper tipped a long-range effort from Emily Owen on to the crossbar, this the third time Cheltenham had hit the woodwork.
Burridge had chances to score her hat trick, but it was Johns who struck next. The striker latched on to a through ball, was too fast for Courtney Jones, took her time and tucked the ball in for her brace and Oxford’s fifth.
The newly promoted Robinesses worked hard but may go away deflated having faced the brunt of an excellent Oxford performance. The U’s have now gone four games without conceding and have scored 12 goals.
They now have a short break in Southern Premier Division action as they look ahead to the League Cup next weekend. The U’s have been drawn away to AFC Bournemouth Women next Sunday, the 11th of September.
UNITED
Kite, Stevens, Casley, Beaver, Provan, Haynes, Cole (Wynne, 86’), Burridge (Gray, 81), King (Hartigan, 68), Johns (Joslyn, 81), Mclachlan
Attendance: 227
Report by Billy Lawrence