Hat-tricks from Georgia Heasman, Sophie Manzi and Sasha Adamson helped Fulham return to winning ways as the Whites thrashed Crawley AFC 15-0 at Three Bridges this afternoon.
Fulham, whose hopes of promotion faded dramatically with defeat at home to Saltdean United last Sunday, were on the front foot from the outset on a cold, sunny afternoon. The visitors opened the scoring following a fifth-minute counter-attack that culminated in Adamson converting a cross from Heasman. The returning Sophie Manzi shot over the bar three minutes later, but the away side doubled their lead when the striker slipped a lovely ball into the path of Heasman, who guided a fine finish into the bottom corner.
It was three eight minutes later when Crawley conceded an own goal from Megalie Mendes’ corner. Mendes went close to scoring herself – her rising drive clipped the top of the crossbar – before Fulham goalkeeper Frankie Gibbs made a smart save to deny Orla Humphrey after Crawley had found space down the right flank. Crawley goalkeeper Catherine Love thwarted Adamson shortly after being cautioned for handling the ball outside her penalty area – and Fulham continued to pour numbers forward.
Manzi made it four with a clinical finish despite some desperate home defending and Heasman tapped home her second of the afternoon from close range four minutes before the break. Crawley looked as if they had survived further Fulham pressure to reach half time, but midfielder Lilly Lambird lashed home a long-range strike into the bottom corner of the net in the first minute of added time.
Heasman completed her hat-trick within two minutes of the restart after more outstanding approach work from Adamson. The in-form winger was then denied another goal by a brilliant Love save as the Crawley goalkeeper pushed her shot aside for a corner after a fine ball from Adamson. Love excelled herself again to keep out a fierce drive by Rebecca Barron-Clark before Olivia Dale drilled an effort fractionally wide after a superb run forward from centre back.
Dale rifled home the eighth in some style with eighteen minutes to play and Fulham scored frequently as the home side tired in the closing stages. Manzi made it nine after slotting past Love when played through on goal and, within two minutes, new signing from Tottenham Hotspur Isabel Taylor-Makepeace took the Whites into double figures with a delicious debut strike. Manzi registered her hat-trick with another poacher’s finish with nine minutes left.
Striker Ellie Olds, making his first appearance after thirteen months out after a serious knee injury, sensationally marked her return with a trademark finish as the goals continued to flow. Adamson, a real threat to the Crawley defence all afternoon, notched her second of game shooting through a crowded penalty area and then rounded off her own hat-trick with another instinctive finish in the last minute of normal time.
Taylor-Makepeace finished off the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time – majestically chipping Love to complete an impressive debut cameo. This crushing victory will send the Whites to second-placed Dulwich Hamlet in good heart when their league campaign continues at Champion Hill on Wednesday 3 April, with kick off at 7.45pm.
CRAWLEY AFC WOMEN: Love; Horton, Lazenby, Sheppard, Macfarlane, O. Humphrey, Chapman, Morley, Delaney, Martin. Subs: Bale, Higham, Tyler.
BOOKED: Love.
FULHAM FC WOMEN (3-4-3): Gibbs; Dale, Tagliavini, Southgate; Parsonson, Mendes, Barron-Clark, Lambird; Heasman, Adamson, Manzi. Subs: Parker, Allen, Beaver, Taylor-Makepeace, Olds.
GOALS: Adamson (5, 88, 90), Heasman (9, 41, 47), own goal (17), Manzi (32, 77, 81), Lambird (45+1), Dale (72), Taylor-Makepeace (79, 90+3), Olds (83),
