Fulham produced a fantastic display to put fellow promotion-chasers Dartford Women to the sword on a sunny afternoon at Craven Cottage. Strikes from Georgia Heasman and Belle Taylor-Makepeace were sandwiched between two own-goals as the Whites bounced back emphatically from Wednesday’s defeat at Dulwich Hamlet.
Dartford, needing a win to put themselves back in the promotion picture, began brightly and Fulham failed to deal with an early set piece with Amelia Woodgate driving a shot just wide from an ensuing melee. But the visitors’ ambition was undermined when they conceded the opening goal from Fulham’s first attack with the Dartford defence struggling to clear Sasha Adamson’s left-wing cross before an unfortunate defender diverted the loose ball past a helpless Jade Charlton.
The goal galvanised Fulham with Georgia Heasman twice coming close to connecting with crosses from the right flank before the winger doubled the hosts’ lead. A lovely move saw Adamson sent Heasman clear of a square Dartford defence and Heasman slotted a low finish inside the far post.
A very open contest contained plenty of chances as Dartford sought a route back into the match. Amelia Woodgate rattled the post after getting into space after a flowing passing pattern before Emily Vaughan came close twice in quick succession. Her diving header narrowly cleared the crossbar from a brilliant cross by Meghan McKeag before the forward forced a fine save from Fulham goalkeeper Frankie Gibbs.
The Whites still carried plenty of threat themselves with Adamson denied by an excellent save from Charlton and Heasman headed wide from a precise Parsonson ball. Fulham’s defence still looked shaky with Vaughan firing over after an error from Ella Tagliavini and Cat Beaver fortunate to be only shown a yellow card after bringing down Vaughan just outside the area. Substitute Paris Smith shot wide after surging onto a well weighted through ball from Lizzie Adams and Jo Woodgates went close with a couple of free-kicks.
The Darts made a strong start to the second half, with Vaughan almost punishing a poor ball out for the back but the lively forward was denied by another great Gibbs block. Fulham’s first opening came from their own corner as a sublime switch of play from Lilly Lambird released Madi Parsonson, with the wing-back thwarted by a good save from Charlton at her near post. Belle Taylor-Makepeace made an immediate impact off the bench, almost turning home a cross from substitute Ellie Olds.
Fulham enjoyed a prolonged period of pressure with Lambird lashing wide from long-range and Adamson’s intelligent runs posing problems for a tiring Darts defence. The third goal arrived when the luckless Jo Woodgates diverted Olds’ cross from the right beyond her own goalkeeper. Tottenham loanee Taylor-Makepeace then fired a fourth high into the net after a raid down the right from Olds as the Whites made the scoreline much more emphatic.
Dartford kept plugging away and only a fine challenge from Tagliavini denied Amelia Woodgate a shooting chance after she burst into the box but Fulham, with their backline shored up by the arrival of Mary Southgate as a late substitute, kept a clean sheet despite the Darts offering plenty in an absorbing advert for the women’s game. The energetic Megalie Mendes fired wide late on after another storming run from the fit-again Olds as Fulham finished in fine fettle.
The Whites are next in action at Enfield Town on Sunday 21 April, with kick off at 2.30pm at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
FULHAM FC WOMEN (3-4-3): Gibbs; Tagliavini, Dale, Beaver; Parsonson, Mendes, Barron-Clark, Lambird; Heasman, Adamson, Manzi. Subs: Parker, Southgate, Stormer, Taylor-Makepeace, Olds.
GOALS: Adams (o.g. 6), Heasman (13), Woodgates (o.g. 73), Taylor-Makepeace (75).
DARTFORD FC WOMEN (4-4-2): Charlton; McKeag, Davis, Hinds, Howell; J. Woodgates; Adams, Powell, Griffiths; A. Woodgate, Vaughan. Subs: Alberts, Torry, Woodhouse, M. Woodgate, Smith.
REFEREE: David Lofgren.
ATTENDANCE: 2,441.
