Women's Report: Saints 4-0 Ipswich

Captain Atlanta Primus got things up and running, before vice-captain Amy Goddard also led by example to put Saints two goals up in the first half an hour.

Mary Bashford secured a debut brace either side of half time to cap off a fantastic opening day victory.

Simon Parker handed out six full debuts from the start - Jess Simpson, Ellie Brazil, Michaela McAlonie and Abbie Ferguson, along with Goddard and Bashford - whilst there was also a return to St. Mary’s for ex-Saints Paige Peake and Rianna Dean who joined Ipswich this summer.

Saints' opening day starters. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)

Saints came out of the bocks fast, looking to startle the league newcomers in front of a nearly 4,000 crowd at St Mary's.

In the opening minutes, Brazil picked up possession high up the pitch and beat goalkeeper Natalia Negri to the ball, catching her out of position, before teeing up McAlonie who forced a diving save from the game's first effort on target.

Brazil was quickly back causing problems for Ipswich’s defence again, racing past Peake to meet a through ball but her final shot spun agonisingly wide of the far post.

The home crowd matched the lively start on the pitch, helped further as Ferguson was then the creator of the next attack, setting Meg Collett through to cross the ball flat across the face of goal.

The opening goal looked like it was only going to come one way, and the Saints fans were back on their feet when it arrived; Primus fired home emphatically to open the scoring, after Brazil again led the attack as she drove past Peake and cut back to eventually assist her captain.

Tara Bourne then almost doubled the lead in remarkable style, as her goalwards free-kick from all of 35 yards bounced off the crossbar.

Ipswich's first opening fell to Dean, who found herself in space as she took the ball past a recovering Bourne, but her strike didn’t faze Fran Stenson.

Inside the half-hour mark, debutant Goddard got into the right place at the right time to add to Saints’ lead, heading home from centre-back partner Bourne’s corner.

Saints' first two goalscorers celebrate.

Then, if the fast start wasn't good enough, Mary Bashford added a third to the scoreboard in stoppage time as she attacked the near post to flick a header past Negri from Jess Simpson’s corner.

Saints carried that intensity into the second half, despite pre-planned changes that saw the integral pair of Brazil and Chloe Peplow withdrawn to manage their minutes.

Substitute Ruby-Rae Tucker forced a save out of Negri just moments into her debut.

However, it was Bashford who continued to steal the headlines as she took Saints’ lead to an incredible four when she tapped the ball in after a flurry of play around Ipswich’s box from a poorly cleared corner.

The midfielder's brace were her first goals in the second tier, as the result was seemingly all wrapped up inside an hour.

Mary Bashford (R) celebrates with Ellie Brazil.

Composure was also maintained from the defence as the game wore on, with Goddard and substitute Ashanti Akpan tracking to intercept Ipswich’s advances.

Stenson was also on hand to claim the ball away from former teammate Rianna Dean and maintain her opening day clean sheet.

As the match drew to a close, Simon Parker’s winning side brought a fresh roar of applause from the stands of St. Mary’s Stadium, with victory marking the start of a new era in style.

Saints: Stenson, Collett, Goddard, Bourne, Simpson,, Bashford, Peplow (Akpan 45'), Primus (c) (Roberts 89'), McAlonie (Watts 89'), Brazil (Tucker 45'), Ferguson (Sena 67').

Subs not used: Pettit, Mott, Hack, Dix-Trujillo.

Goals: Primus (9'), Goddard (29'), Bashford (45+1', 57').

Ipswich: Negri, Neville, Boswell (c), Peake, Roe, Robertson (Doe 55'), Mitchell, Peskett, O'Brien (Dear 55'), Thomas, Dean (Earl 75').

Subs not used: Hartley, Wearing, Hughes, Bonwick, Seaby.

Goals: N/A.

Attendance: 3,896