TAKELEY women’s manager Dave Dawson believes his team’s 5-0 win against Saffron Walden showed what they are capable of ahead of the Essex FA Trophy Cup Final on Thursday.
Shannon Hardinges scored a hat-trick and Kelly Stock netted two early goals to give Takeley a commanding lead.
Andi Wright, playing against her former club, provided three assists but a bigger challenge awaits against Southend Manor on Thursday, a team that has beat them twice this season.
Dave Dawson said: “It was a very decisive win. On the day had the cup final on mind and we showed what we can do.
“We were dominant for a lot of the game, especially the first 45 minutes.
“In the second-half I think our minds were on Thursday’s final, buy you can’t blame them for that.
“I am confident that we will give it our best shot and do the best we can. Southend Manor are a very good team who have beat us twice season, albeit by narrow margins. “We’re hoping we can reverse the trend on the day.”
Stock scored twice in the opening two minutes to give the Station Road side a commanding lead.
She outsprinted the entire Walden backline to latch onto an Andi Wright delivery from the left wing and bury the ball into the net in the opening minute.
Takeley’s lead was doubled one minute later with Stock scoring a simple tap in after a powerful shot from Hardinges hit both posts before falling at Stock’s feet.
Hardinges netted her first on 10 minutes with Wright again providing the cross. The Takeley striker found it easy to beat her marker and drive the ball home her first of the game.
Wright, who was playing against her former club, provided her third assist of the game on 32 minutes with a cross field pass that cleared the Walden backline, allowing Hardinges to run onto the ball and find the back of the net from 10 yards.
Hardinges sealed her hat-trick in the 67th minute after a long ball caught the Walden backline unaware, leaving her with a simple finish.
Substitute Kirsty Edwards almost got herself on the score sheet when she won the ball to the left of the penalty box and fired into the side netting.
Walden did not have one attempt on goal throughout the 90 minutes but a slight scare came late in the game when Takeley goalkeeper Rebecca Tyson came to edge of the box to receive the ball but lost control at the feet of a Walden attacker.
Defender Natalie Smyth got back quickly to clear the ball to safety.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here