A DOUBLE from Maz Gauntlett and further goals from Jade Brook, Amber Hughes and Crissy Torkildsen helped Coventry United Ladies claim a comfortable 5-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers in what was their final away fixture of the Premier League Northern division.
It proved to be a textbook away display by Coventry who secured maximum points and with Portsmouth losing at Brighton, they leapfrogged Pompey into fourth position.
Michael Foy made two changes for his team’s final away match of the season, with Lottie McElroy and Nikki Miles coming into the side.
Gauntlett carved out a fine chance in the 14th minute when after Jade Brook was brought down outside the area but unfortunately the striker saw her curling effort saved at the second attempt by Chelsea Coles.
McElroy was called into action moments later when a Danielle Puddefoot deep free kick was collected under pressure.
The deadlock was broken on 32 minutes when after a neat passage of passing football, Ash Neville strode down the left and pulled the ball back, but Coles could only flap at thin air and Brook had the easy task of stroking the ball home.
The visitors doubled their lead two minutes later after Neville sent a powerful header towards goal and Gauntlett diverted her header past Coles for her first of the match.
Coventry picked up where they left off after the break with Gauntlett hitting an effort over the bar while at the other end McElroy athletically saved from Puddefoot’s header as a spell of QPR pressure followed.
Another effort from Gauntlett was saved before Hughes trebled the advantage in a clinical fashion by unleashing a shot from the edge of the area to make it 3-0.
Wilcox was forced to make way for Callan Barber with injury on 61 minutes as the game got sweeter for United.
The cap was put on a fine performance a minute later when Johnson ended a good move from the right with a neat pass, and Gauntlett found the bottom corner of the net with her last contribution.
Ellena Rollason was introduced for the striker on 74 minutes, but it was Torkilsdon next in action with a superb piece of technique from a Brook cross, and she scored the goal of the afternoon with a scissor kick into the top corner of the net.
With five minutes left there was time for a debut as youth product Jasmine Ancell replaced the impressive Brook but there were to be no more goals in the game.
Next up for Coventry is a run of four home games and two cup finals before the end of campaign in May. A two game tour of Warwickshire to promote the ladies game starts this Sunday with the visit of C&K Basildon to Stratford Town’s DCS Stadium.
