Sophie Manzi scored five as Fulham continued their superb start to the new season with a 9-1 rout of Ashford United at Motspur Park earlier this afternoon.

The former Dulwich Hamlet record goalscorer needed just two minutes to put Steve Jaye’s side ahead as she punished a ponderous visiting defence for giving her too much room in the box with an excellent finish. Four minutes later, Manzi guided home a fine cross from the marauding Maddie Parsonson to double the hosts’ advantage. Rachel Stevens reduced Ashford’s arrears as they sought to make a game of it – but Fulham moved through the gears in a clinical first half display.

The returning Tia Foreman saw a shot scrambled off the goal-line before Belle Taylor-Makepeace made her mark within seconds of stepping off the substitutes’ bench by finishing off an excellent move to make it 3-1. Ella Tagliavini headed home a fourth from a floated Parsonson cross in the 24th minute and a rampant Fulham side were far from finished. Manzi completed her hat-trick when she followed up after Foreman’s effort had bounced back off the post.

The rampant centre forward poached another goal two minutes later with an instinctive finish into the far corner of the net and Manzi tapped home from another excellent cross by Parsonson in the fifth minute of added time to complete an almost flawless first half. Ashford United were more disciplined and defensively organised in the second period, but Taylor-Makepeace still managed to add her second of the afternoon with a lofted finish after drifting inside her marker.

Georgia Heasman rounded off the rout with a classy finish through the goalkeeper’s legs – and, although Ashford produced a stirring finale that saw Stevens let fly from distance and force a good save from Amber Webber, Fulham still enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and were overwhelming winners. Their third successive league victory sees Jaye’s charges top the London and South East Regional Premier Division, having already found the net 22 times.

The Whites will look to continue their flawless start to the season when they take on Sport London E Benfica at Rectory Park in Northolt next Sunday.

FULHAM WOMEN: Webber; Beaver, Gane, Tagliavini, Parsonson, Mendes, Barron-Clarke, L. Stevens, Foreman, Olds, Manzi. Subs: Stormer, Adamson, Taylor-Makepeace, Heasman.

GOALS: Manzi (2, 6, 41, 43, 45+5), Taylor-Makepeace (18, 49), Tagliavini (25), Heasman (71).

ASHFORD UNITED LADIES: Ellis; Diamond, Y. Howard, Vaughan, Sword, Pepper-Scott, Hurst, R. Stevens, K. Howard, Roper, Senior. Subs: Jenner, Farmery, Hurst, Lloyd, Thapa.

GOAL: R. Stevens (10).

REFEREE: Ian Skull.

ATTENDANCE: 102.