Stella Gandee Morgan scored a hat-trick as Fulham Women thrashed Millwall Lionesses 7-0 at the St. Paul’s Sports Ground this afternoon to keep up their push for promotion from the London and South East Women’s Premier Division.
Steve Jaye’s side took the lead after four minutes when Kayleigh Stead connected with a ball over the home defence, sauntered around goalkeeper Annis-Clara Wright and finished with a modicum of fuss. Stead then turned provider five minutes later as her precise cross was driven home emphatically by Gandee Morgan.
The impressive Madi Parsonson laid on the third with a delicious cross that Gandee Morgan headed in with aplomb. A sensational spell of scoring continued as Stead headed in her second and Fulham’s fourth from a Lily Stevens corner with just seventeen minutes on the clock. The visitors could easily have had further goals before half time, with Stevens firing fractionally wide – whilst Gandee Morgan came close to completing her hat-trick shortly after the interval.
Wright made a fine reaction save to thwart Parsonson with fifteen minutes remaining, before Gandee Morgan’s audacious attempt to chip the goalkeeper drifted just wide of goal. But the impressive forward was not to be denied the matchball. She fired home a third to make it 5-0 as Fulham’s superior fitness began to tell.
There was a wonderful moment for the Whites when substitute Alex Hayman, who has bravely battled a succession of injuries over the past couple of years, scored her first league goal since making her comeback from close range by converting Olivia Dale’s pass. The visitors added a seventh deep into stoppage time when Gandee Morgan unselfishly squared for the unmarked Georgia Heasman to guide home.
On account of their excellent FA Cup run, Fulham have six games in hand on leaders Dartford and are thirteen points behind. They are next in action at Ebbsfleet United on Sunday 16 March, with kick off at 2pm.
FULHAM FC WOMEN: Gibbs; Tagliavini, Rutherford, Parsonson, Gandee Morgan, Stead, Stevens, Dale, Newman, Mendes, Bradley. Subs: Webber, Taylor, Hayman, Heasman, Olds.
GOALS: Stead (5, 17), Gandee Morgan (10, 13, 78), Hayman (81), Heasman (90+3).
