Women's Report: Saints 14-1 Billericay Town

Seven goals either side of the half was the story of a stylish Saints performance on their return to home pre-season action.

Molly Pike and Katie Wilkinson both secured a hat-trick each, with five other Saints players also going into the goalscoring records after a fruitful afternoon.

The rain began to fall almost immediately after kick-off at Totton, making the pitch slick as both sides looked to get a handle on the ball.

Molly Pike had the first chance of the game, as Katie Wilkinson chased down a through ball and delivered across the box, only to see the new signing’s shot drift just wide less than five minutes into the game.

It was Saints knocking on the door once again shortly after, as Wilkinson found herself in front of goal, sliding in, with her improvised shot hitting the advertising hoardings.

Jemma Purfield’s left-footed corner deliveries were causing issues for the travelling side as the clock ticked past the 10th minute, with Alice Griffiths tapping an effort towards Billericay’s goalkeeper, before heading just high of the goal in quick succession.

Play was then slowed heading into the 20th minute, as Billericay’s Jade Blackie required prolonged treatment after putting in some big challenges to deny Lexi Lloyd-Smith down the right-hand side.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side didn’t take their foot off the pedal though, and it was lively Pike that found the breakthrough with a wonderful solo effort after the stoppage restart.

Stealing the ball off the foot of the last defender, Pike took a touch forward before rifling her shot into the top corner, giving Saints a deserved lead.

It was once again Pike able to find the back of the net just after the half hour mark, once again seeing space to drive a shot past the Billericay keeper.

Less than two minutes later, there was to be another name on the scoresheet, as Wilkinson, who had looked sharp in the opening exchanges, dinked the ball over the onrushing keeper to secure Saints’ third of the day.

Strike partner Lloyd-Smith, who had been running Billericay’s defence ragged down the right-hand side was next to break through, slotting her effort low and past the keeper to put Saints safely in the driving seat in the 35th minute.

Injury time saw no let off to the home side’s attacking onslaught, as Saints began to play with even more confidence and freedom up top.

Alice Griffiths slotted home from a Wynne ball across to make it five, before she returned the favour; Wynne sliding in at the back post to convert.

Molly Pike also grabbed her hat-trick five minutes into stoppage time, once again beating the keeper with a neat effort, making it 7-0 going in for half time.

Molly Pike proved too much to handle in front of goal

Despite the first half dominance, it was Billericay who hit first in the second period, as their number 9 flicked a ball over the onrushing Beth Howard in the Saints goal following some sloppy defending.

The shock of conceding early spurred Saints into action, and it didn’t take long for their dominance to be restored.

Urged to shoot on the edge of the box, Wilkinson let fly a characteristic powerful shot, which took a deflection before nestling in the net to make it 8-1 to Spacey-Cale’s side.

The first change of the day saw hat-trick hero Molly Pike replaced by stalwart Lucia Kendall in the 49th minute.

A key goal scoring threat during the promotion winning season, Kendall made her intentions clear with almost her first touch of the game, racing through to collect a neat ball and tapping past the keeper with the outside of the boot.

Wilkinson recorded the second hat-trick of the day in the 56th minute, as pressure up top saw the number 9 with enough space on the ball to slot into the bottom corner.

With Saints continuing to ramp up the pressure, it was Kendall once again on the scoresheet with one of the best finishes of the day. Off balance and under pressure, Kendall latched onto a punched keeper clearance, slamming an effort high into the net.

Two more substitutions in the 64th minute saw Laura Rafferty and Paige Peake enter the fray, with the hardworking Megan Collett and Chloe Peplow making way.

Set play perfectionists would have enjoyed goal number 12, as captain Rosie Parnell rose highest at the back sticks to head over the keeper’s outstretched gloves in the 67th minute.

Jemma Purfield, who once again had been a menace with her left-footed deliveries, was replaced by a trialist in the 76th minute as Saints didn’t let the energy drop.

Lloyd-Smith continued her fine pre-season form, netting the home side’s 13th goal in the 87th minute, racing forward into the box and slamming her shot into the top of the net from what looked like an impossibly tight angle.

The final blow of the game came from substitute Kendall, as unselfish play from Wilkinson saw her square the ball to her strike partner, who made no mistake in dispatching the finish.

With 10 minutes of stoppage time shown by the fourth official, Saints provided a professional performance to see out the game; a game in which Billericay never stopped fighting.

With Hashtag United at St Mary’s beckoning as the final pre-season test, Spacey-Cale’s Saints side look raring to go for the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Championship season.

Saints XI: Howard, Mott, Parnell ©, Lloyd-Smith, Peplow (Peake, 64’), Wilkinson, Wynne, Pike (Kendall, 49’), Griffiths, Purfield (Trialist, 76’), Collett (Rafferty, 64’).

Subs not used: Rendell, Jeffery.