Women's Report: Saints 4-1 Hashtag

Remarkably, despite twice hitting the post and seeing one shot blocked on the line, Saints trailed at the interval to a calm finish from Emma Samways ten minutes before the break.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side were even more in control after the interval, and turned the game on its head with two goals in four minutes from Sophia Pharoah and Lucia Kendall.

Half-time substitute Pharoah also struck the woodwork before adding her second and Saints' third with ten minutes left, while Paige Peake completed the scoring with the goal of the game deep into stoppage time.

Saints were in confident mood after firing 14 goals past Billericay in their previous friendly, with Hashtag having just been promoted into the same division as the Essex side.

But the visitors would prove much sturdier opposition, leading the game until the 58th minute.

Megan Collett gets to the ball ahead of goalkeeper Frankie Angel to cut it back

Alice Griffiths tested the handling of goalkeeper Frankie Angel early on, while Katie Wilkinson’s trickery down the right earned a corner, from which Jemma Purfield’s delivery caused a scramble in the six-yard box, but Hashtag survived.

With Saints enjoying plenty of possession, Sammy Rowland tried to catch out Kayla Rendell when the ball was turned over, but Kayla Rendell was alert to the danger.

That was a rare foray forward for Hashtag, but they made the next one count when Samways coolly converted a one-on-one chance past Rendell to give the visitors a surprise lead ten minutes before the interval.

Saints’ response was almost instant. When Griffiths laid the ball back, Megan Collett unleashed a ferocious shot that was rising towards the far corner, only for Angel to somehow get fingertips to the ball.

Even then, the goalkeeper needed a bit of luck, as her touch took the ball on to the post, from which it bounced on the goal line, struck the opposite upright, and ended up in her grateful grasp.

From inspired goalkeeping to inspired defending for United, as Wilkinson skipped inside a challenge in the box and beat Angel with a shot destined for the far corner until captain Grace Gillard intervened with a goal-line block.

Saints were getting closer, and Kendall was left frustrated when she shot wildly off target from Wilkinson’s pass on the stroke of half time.

With six added minutes, there was still time for Saints to suffer another near miss, as this time Wilkinson rattled the post after letting fly from 25 yards.

It was a pure strike that deserved a goal, and Lexi Lloyd-Smith thought she deserved a penalty when challenged from behind after seizing on the rebound, but the referee deemed the ball was played.

Lucia Kendall dispatches Collett's cutback to give Saints a 2-1 lead

Saints were already in the front foot, despite the half-time deficit, but stepped it up a notch following the half-time arrivals of Molly Pike and Pharoah.

Pike was a constant threat down the left, and her touch set up Purfield for a shot that deflected wide before Pharoah pounced to level the scores with an instinctive finish from a corner inside a crowded penalty area.

Pharoah threatened a second within two minutes, hitting the foot of the post, before Collett’s acceleration took her beyond the Hashtag defence and brought Angel off her line, inviting Collett to play the ball back for Kendall to gleefully find the unguarded net.

Pike should have added her name to the scoresheet as Saints continued to pile forward even after taking the lead, but sent two presentable chances over the bar when the ball sat up nicely on both occasions.

Pharoah headed wide from another sight of goal but made no mistake ten minutes from time, profiting from another corner with another close-range finish that just about crossed the line.

With another extended period of added time in the second half, Peake gave the home fans a moment to savour in the 99th minute, connecting sweetly with an unerring rising drive from the right-corner of the penalty area to beat Angel for the fourth time and complete a job well done for Spacey-Cale's side.

Saints: Rendell (Howard 90), Collett (Wynne 67), Mott (Milne 90), Peake, Parnell (c), Purfield, Griffiths, Peplow (Rafferty 74), Kendall, Wilkinson (Pike 46), Lloyd-Smith (Pharoah 46).

Goals: Pharoah (58, 80), Kendall (62), Peake (90+9).

Hashtag: Angel, Kelly (Sanlo 79), Gillard (c), Samways (Cresswell 63), Rowland, Griffin (Keogh 52), West (Marne 79), Alpindia, Lumley, Baker (Lampett 63), Lancaster (Garwood 52).

Goal: Samways (35).

Attendance: 589.