Women's Report: Saints 1-4 London City Lionesses

An Isobel Goodwin hat-trick and a Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah strike earned London City Lionesses all three points.

Molly Pike’s neat finish into the top corner pulled a goal back early in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to rescue Saints on Good Friday.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale made one change to her side on the return to action after the international break, as Lucia Kendall was straight back into the starting eleven on her return from injury.

A quartet of Saints' Under-21s made the bench just two days after their triumph in the Hampshire Senior Cup final.

Saints' Good Friday line-up with match sponsors P&O Cruises. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)

Saints started with renewed energy but it was the league leaders who opened the scoring after just four minutes; Goodwin, the Barclays Women's Championship's top scorer, tapped the ball past Stenson after receiving Freya Godfrey’s cut-back to round off a flowing move.

London City looked to be through on goal again but Milly Mott recovered to deny Rofiat Imuran’s advances and hold off a quickfire second.

Saints’ first close chance came from Georgia Mullett, who drove forwards up the right flank and floated a ball into the box that just narrowly bounced past the back post with Emily Orman stranded in the visitors' goal.

Godfrey and Goodwin soon combined again, however, with another incisive move down the left to get the latter’s brace as she powered the ball into the roof of Fran Stenson’s net.

Looking for a response, Kendall switched the play out to Aimee Palmer who in turn found Molly Pike, but her final touch pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Sofia Jakobsson picked up the ball in space down the other end on two occasions, but Stenson made a comfortable save each time to deny the Swedish international.

On the stroke of regular time of the first half, London City added a sucker-punch third goal when Boye-Hlorkah finished from distance to extend their lead to three.

Saints' energy was much-improved but they needed to find a more ruthless streak in attack, and they did just that early in the second half.

Pike was played through by Palmer, and the Saints forward neatly cut inside past a defender and effortlessly curled the ball into the far top corner from just inside the penalty area.

Molly Pike pulled a goal back in the second half.

It was game on at St Mary's Stadium for a spell of 10 minutes, before another Goodwin goal sealed her hat-trick and restored the visitors' unassailable lead.

The England youth international rose highest after Boye-Hlorkah had sent a lofted pass into the box towards the striker, whose headed effort floated past Stenson.

Goodwin looked to be through on goal again but defender Paige Peake stayed calm to toe the ball away from danger, as Saints made sure to prioritise damage limitation.

London City substitute Grace Neville was also kept out by quick reactions from Stenson, and Mott blocked the follow-up from Jakobsson as the game entered the closing minutes.

In the final stages, Vivienne Lia showed her quick footwork to beat Campbell, but no final product was able to be created by the youngster who showed positive moments late on.

The result moves London City five points clear at the summit, as Saints' search for a return to winning ways continues.

Saints: Stenson, Mott, Bourne, Peake (Milne 80), Purfield (c), Peplow, Harbert, Kendall (Dennis 80), Palmer (Lia 65), Pike, Mullett.

Subs not used: Haaland, Wilson, Lucas, Roberts, Udebhulu, Watts.

Goals: Pike 57.

London City Lionesses: Orman, Goldie, Kumagai, Pérez (Brougham 72), Jakobsson, Roddar (c) (Campbell 77), Brown, Goodwin (Ivanović 87), Godfrey (Meyong 77), Imuran (Neville 46), Boye-Hlorkah.

Subs not used: Poor, Mengyu, Asllanu, Wilde.

Goals: Goodwin 4, 22, 67, Boye-Hlorkah 45.

Yellow cards: Imuran 26.

Referee: Laura Van Lier.

Attendance: 2112.